


one hundred and one.

by lycorisrxdiata



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, Drabble Collection, F/M, Flash Fic, Multiverse, Mutual Pining, Old Lore, One Word Prompts, and a lot of it yikes, anyway, douses this fandom in yasriv
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2018-05-22 11:15:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 28,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6077301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lycorisrxdiata/pseuds/lycorisrxdiata
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>they've had many ideas about how their lives were going to turn out, and while this certainly was not one of them, neither can say they'd want it to be any other way. One Word Prompts of varying drabble lengths, Yasuo/Riven. Rated mature for sexual content.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. cut.

**Author's Note:**

> what you asked for: for me to maybe update a chapfic already  
> what you're getting: super sappy domestic YasRiv AU(s)
> 
> but actually, i'm going to come a little clean here. i deal with ADHD, which makes it incredibly difficult for me to see any single, continuous idea through to the very end ( just think of all those little 'chapter' fics i will never return to/have never finished ). 
> 
> it's for the above reason that i'm trying to move with the flow of my disorder and do what i do best; short bursts of prose poetry. this collection i'm making is going to be a container for every little idea i can come up with, where i get to experiment with all the verses i've made and just write what i love without feeling the pressure of holding onto any one, single plotline. i will still update my current chapfic, to fell a nation, but updates will be slow, and i don't want to simply freeze up all my activity by having you all wait on my incredibly slow self just to get around to one thing.
> 
> this is all just meant to be a series of things with my favorite champions being happy together in the most toothachingly sappy kind of way possible, something for fun and something i hope you enjoy! remember to leave your kudos or comments if you want to see me keep going !

Riven has a ritual with her hair; it is always kept short - just at her shoulders - and she will permit it to grow exactly one inch after the fact before taking scissors to her ends. This has not changed since her self-imposed exile.

Today, however.

Rubied hues examine reflection, honeyed hands running through tresses that now settle around her chest. Her hair has only gotten this long because she - they - have gone on their longest little 'roaming' stint yet, rendering her unable to really sit down and tend to appearances.

She is just about to give it a good chop when Yasuo passes by. Though he does not even seem to so much as pause by the bathroom, his quip is one that stops her in her tracks.

"Long hair's a good look for you."

After ten years, Riven decides it’s time to divorce the ritual.


	2. dance.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riven always did want to learn how to dance. Good thing Yasuo doesn't have two left feet.

"So what you're tellin' me is that if you weren't a high-ranked general in the Noxian Military, you'd be....a dancer?"

Resolute nod is given; for all the time Yasuo has been spared to get to know her, never in his twenty-nine years would he have guessed...

"What would your specialty have been?"

"I am not sure. I do not know much about it, only that I was lucky enough to see a troupe perform in our streets while I was an orphan. It just looked fun."

Pause. Tanned hand is extended towards the warrior, palms sliding together as he brings her close.

"I happen to know a little thing about movin' feet, if you wanna learn."

They dance to the sound of nothing, hearts light and laughter loud.


	3. flame.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern AU ) There is fire, and then there is Riven. Yasuo decides in a single meeting that she is both.

With first look into her eyes, Yasuo thinks she is the one.  
  
Nevermind what little he knows about romance, or relationships; in those amber hues lay secrets, some untold know-how of the universe's origins as if only she was worthy of speaking to the stars.  
  
Forever seems to pass before Yi's voice cuts through the reverie he is possessed by.  
  
"Yasuo, this is my friend." Honeyed hand is offered to him. He takes it and focuses on giving it a good squeeze.  
  
"I'm Riven. It's nice to meet you."  
  
"Riven..." A pause. She smiles. He smiles more. "Nice to meet you too."  
  
He dreams of her name until he only sees fire.


	4. house.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> concept: just us, some dogs, and a little garden near the ocean. we don't have to fight anymore. we settle down, we are happy, and i will get to love you for the rest of my natural life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this was a new level of sap, but i like the kind of character development where it's possible to imagine your life being lived quietly and happy after enduring years of strife...
> 
> i just want my champions happy, okay. 
> 
> ( also, i just want to thank people for your kudos/views so far, it always makes me happy and excited to write more! )

July heat is broken up by the gentle lap of waves on the Ionian coastline. Toes take a cursatory dip into the foaming peaks, eyes narrowing when blue refacts into their vision from the glint of sunlight. Forget however many times they've seen the sea. Today is their first - their best - as tanned hands link together.  
  
"I haven't been here in a while."  
  
"To the coast?"  
  
Yasuo shakes his head. "Nah, just here. Southern Ionia is better known for their beaches than any other part."  
  
Riven hums. The conversation then falls into silence until -   
  
"It would be nice, just to stay here."  
  
"We could. Maybe find an abandoned cottage, or - "  
  
"Not like that."  & she chuckles a little before looking up into hazel hues. Thumb, stroking his knuckles with a kind of gentleness that she could only give to him. "I mean to live here...maybe make a little house, or something. Grow old together."  
  
Now, Yasuo can't be sure what spurred those kind of words, if it was simply because the scene is so romantic that Riven forgot who - what - they were, or if perhaps she was hungry and her sense of logic slipped...  
  
...but, when he looks down at her, when rosied lips are smiling and she, with white sundress and little wide-brim hat, she, with long, curly locks flowing loose in the wind, says she just wants him and this moment for another fifty, sixty years...  
  
"I've never built a house before," he brings her hand up to his lips and gives it a kiss. "but it can't be harder than pitching a tent."


	5. tyrant.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Grand General/Tyrant AU ) In which Riven is the Grand General of Noxus and Yasuo is her bodyguard.

"Would you destroy a nation for me?"  
  
Yasuo has been asked many things, no doubt, but this particular question is pressed to him between heavy kisses, between his calloused palms gliding down her heavyset figure as if no other was worthy of his worship.   
  
He pauses.  She sighs. Gentle, into his skin as honeyed fingers trace along his jaw. Could he destroy the livelihood of thousands?  Could he watch their buildings collapse, their country crumble, all for the greedy, greedy love of one woman ruler?   
  
A single look into those eyes, and his answer is given in the form of aching kisses & hushed murmur.  
  
" _All of them_."


	6. overtime.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Grand General / Tyrant AU ) In which they are not lovers, and Yasuo decides overtime isn't so bad.

Cigarette stick hangs between calloused fingers as it burns idle; though his shift was considered 'over' by standard labor, he has chosen to linger in the window, back pressed to smooth granite while gaze is fixed towards the night sky.  
  
Near him, the Grand General disrobes, figure obscured by the red of the folding screen.  
  
"How was the meeting, Your Majesty?"  
  
A snort.  
  
"Yasuo, please. 'Your _Majesty_?'"  
  
"It's what you are, ain't it?"  
  
"Hardly. Noxus is a city-state, not a kingdom. Besides, it sounds so tactless when you call me that."  
  
"Hey now, I'm just tryin' to live up to the job description."  
  
Pause. A faint chuckle slips her throat, and it's enough to put a smirk on his face.  
  
"It is late. You know you are dismissed."  
  
"I know."   
  
Staying late doesn't bother him, not when he allows himself to sneak a glance of his General; though view is obscured, he traces the curve of her body in the moonlight. Honeyed skin appears radiant against the curtain's color and her hair seems to kiss its down past shoulders as she shifts.  
  
Reverie of her body is interrupted only when he catches the flicker of amber irises look to his direction. Though one might expect disapproval, he is met with Riven smirking.   
  
"Something tells me you did not stay for the overtime."  
  
"Course I did. Better see this on my paycheck next week."  
  
"As if."  
  
Yasuo later does ees a raise inflected in his pay, and decides pulling overtime wasn't too bad.


	7. habit.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riven tries not to be too loud about it, but that's not quite what Yasuo wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how do you write smut after you just woke up? the short answer is you don't, but the slightly longer answer is that i woke up with this sudden inspiration based on my nsfw headcanons and ignored the need for coffee for about twenty minutes to do this.

"Oh, _fuck_."  
  
Her once steady gaze falters; hand comes to clasp mouth, eyes squeeze shut, and hips roll sloppily into inviting warmth. She was close, _she was close..._  
  
"Riven."  
  
...until he stops, and the heat of his mouth does not-quite ghost along her folds.  
  
"I...what - "  
  
"You're doing it again...the whole hand-on-your-mouth business."  
  
A pause. Amber meets hazel when she looks down at Yasuo again; though it is hard to see the entirety of his reaction, his gaze is trapped between desire and sincerity.  
  
Stubborn as she may be, she moves it away from her mouth. Cheeks flush, though any embarrassment about the situation dissolves as she is rewarded with wet-hot tongue running the length of her clit once more.  
  
She will no longer make an apology out of being loud ( although she might owe him a 'sorry' for all the hair tugging she's done. )


	8. burning.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Ionian War AU ) Riven is the sole survivor of the melters, but she doesn't think she'll make it for long. Yasuo decides that won't be the case.

( there is a fire, and she is burning. )  
  
Chemical searing was a kind of pain no sword could compare to, for the agony it created was one Riven could not calm, could not compress or contain to a single spot. Her burns were simply /there/, and every nerve was screaming for her to end the misery.  
  
Death seems so open, she thinks, so ready to claim her...  
  
...until there is figure above her, hands upon charred back with the coldest touch.   
  
( there was a fire, and she is going out. )  
  
"Hold still."  The stranger shuffles, and the cooling sensation spreads until she can no longer tell where she was burned. "That's it..."  
  
"I...who are..."  
  
"Shh."   
  
Riven opens her mouth again. She wants to protest,  but she instead can only nudge her limbs to move as bandages are wrapped around her waist.  
  
"I don't know if anybody's still out there, but we can't get caught. Too risky for us to get seen together."  
  
She mouths the words a couple of times before realizing she is in the company of an Ionian.  
  
"You...helping me..."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"...who are...you?"  
  
"Don't worry about who I am." Pause. The stranger takes hasty glance around the place before meeting her half-lidded gaze. "I'm going to leave now, but I've left some ointment with you. Apply it every day for the first couple of weeks. It'll keep the pain down and reduce scarring."  
  
Before she can beckon to them, the stranger flees, and the last sight Riven is left with is hazel eyes and raven locks.  
  
( there will be a fire, and he will spark it again. )


	9. loathe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the ' you've got to love yourself first ' prompt that tends to go around on Tumblr, featuring a nod to a good friend and fellow shipper who came up with the idea of Riven having a golden retriever named Mallow.

' _You have to learn how to love yourself before you can love others_.'  
  
**Bullshit**. Yasuo doesn't love himself; glances in the reflection only serve to remind him of something once greater, of a hero who took his fall from grace. Nothing would - or could - bring back those whose lives were claimed by unforgiving steel.  
  
But her? Oh, _God_ , **Her**.  
  
Loving her was the easiest. Loving her was all he knew how to do; how to kiss those faded burns, how to hold her - what to say - when a nightmare struck, how to watch those eyes come to life when she was beneath him...  
  
( even now, as he watches the way her nose crinkles while she takes her first sip of tea at the windowsill, he struggles to keep a steady heartbeat. )  
  
"Mallow's loving those birds today."  
  
Riven does not move her gaze away until Yasuo takes her side. She then lets light smile creep upon her features while he offers kisses along her hand.  
  
"Is she?"  
  
"Yes. I just hope she doesn't try to eat one."  
  
"No way. Mallow's more of a cat girl, if you get my drift."  
  
She snorts, but cannot deny a grin. He decides he loves her so much that he forgets how to hate himself.


	10. name.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they say a rose by any other name will smell just as sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: a quick explanation for this:
> 
> my friend and i ( yes, you, you know who you are when you see this ) were discussing the history of Riven and Yasuo's names, and we decided to give them the backstory of what their birth names were. we ended up with the idea of Cress and Musashi ( Cress being a German name that means 'to be loved' and Musashi being a famous swordsman. ) the end result was that after they get married, they sometimes tend to call each other by their birth names as a sign of intimacy. i also conveniently wanted to celebrate my 100+ hits/10 chapters with some more nsfw-related things. 
> 
> ( can you say good timing? )
> 
> enjoy! remember, leave your comments/kudos! i'm always open to ideas and encouraged by your love!

"I'm... _going to_..."  
  
Nails sink further into sun-kissed skin && legs spread as far as her body will allow them to. Hips meet with hips, filling reddened ears with the sound of skin slapping. Familiar sensation of completion begins to tighten in her belly...  
  
"Come for me."  
  
Between soft murmur and hard thrust, said sensation is dragged right out; first, Riven tenses, then shudders as a hasty whisper that is half his name and half-moan slips from her throat.   
  
When they collapse, foreheads press together and languid smiles settle upon their features. Sleep nears - she closes her eyes...  
  
"Cress."  
  
...and they are open again, fluttering when familiar-yet-foreign name escapes Yasuo.   
  
"I  - "  
  
"I love you."   
  
Pause. His expression can't be seen ( not when he is busy pressing kisses into the crook of her neck ), but she feels the smile upon his lips, and cannot help but follow suit.   
  
"And I love you, Musashi."


	11. monster.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'I want to see the beast in the beauty, the half smile, half snarl. the unapologetic anger. I would like to see the man forgive the monster. to see her, blood and all, and love her anyway.' - Caitlyn S ( alonesomes )

Sometimes,Yasuo remembers the beast inside her beauty.   
  
He remembers when she dances with fire, when she turns would-be predators to bloated corpses at her feet. Stain of blood will adorn runic blade & honeyed visage while she stands tall among her created ruin. Death is no more but a look, one she wears when she wants to remind the world of who she was. Who she is.  
  
Riven, of Noxus. Riven, the once - general, once - leader of the Fury Company. Riven, the woman with her too-sharp teeth ready to rip the very throats from any who want to try.   
  
( sometimes, Yasuo remembers that she is as much his lover as she is his **monster** , and can only love her _more._ )  
  
  
  
  



	12. worship.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> god was in the room when the man said to the woman ' i love you so much, wrap your legs around me, pull me in pullmein -  
> and she’d whisper to him “oh, my God…” this too, is a form of worship. '
> 
> \- Grief Has its Blue Hands in Her Hair, Warsan Shire.

"What was that about you wanting to be quiet? "

Playful words left close to her ear as a hand remained fully between her thighs. Yasuo purposely hiked her attire up, giving him full room to let his hand dip beneath her underwear; his body, flush behind hers as careless marks litter her shoulder and neck.

In response, breath hitches when palm grinds between thick thighs, honeyed hands coming to caress his as she leans back into his embrace. Skin does not forget touch; every cell, every nerve tingles, body aching for the fire to be stroked until the entire forest around them comes crashing down...

When fingers slip against slick folds, inevitable groan slides out from Riven’s mouth. She does not bother practicing any form of restraint, or care - hips grind down on the digits, amber hues flickering to look at him with all the adoration she could muster.

“I don't...want to be quiet,  any - oh, fuck...more."

God fills the room when he whispers right into her ear:  
  
"That's my girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: a few quick notes:
> 
> 1\. the first two sentences were written by my friend, Kisho, after a collaborative roleplay with him. this is done with his permission.
> 
> 2\. sincerest apologies for my delay in updating. i hit the wall with a writing block, and felt particularly uninspired to do anything with these two. the ship itself isn't the most popular, so it can be pretty hard to draw up ideas and talk to people when so few want to discuss it. i got my muse back, though, and i want to continue to pour my love into this ship, so consider this my entry back in!
> 
> 3\. the poem i cited emerged after Beyonce' dropped that visual album last night and i have been so fucked up by it that it snuck right into my work. please check out the poet, her work is incredible!
> 
> and, lastly, i hope you enjoyed this! i'm going to try and get back on the grind with weekly updates now that my inspiration is back, so stay tuned !


	13. flex.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> how most people realize they're dating their soulmate: a deep, intense realization that results in a heartfelt confession.   
> how Yasuo realizes it: his girlfriend likes to pose to the song 'Lowkey Flex' while using his phone to take selfies.

Yasuo is minding his own, nose buried in his equipment as he tinkers with his camera; aside from the occasional 'click', no sound can be heard in the apartment...  
  
...until, it can be.   
  
The sound of music floats from the master bedroom, beat low. It takes a few seconds for him to understand what the lyrics are saying ( ' this pic i took is fire / this selfie 'bout to drop... ' ), but once he registers the pop-ish tune, he decides to abandon his work and examine the source.  
  
As it turns out, its Riven, and she is buy posing in the mirror in her white bathrobe and his iPhone in her hand. She was trying to get a good angle.

He was trying not to laugh.  
  
"Riv, what are you..."  
  
She turns to him. Any flash of embarrassment or shame doesn't seem to exist, face instead giving a wide grin. A leg is then kicked upward, sticking out as she gestures to it in dramatic fashion.  
  
"I shaved my legs."  
  
( even the voice is dramatic, words spoken as if she were announcing a new movie. )  
  
"You...shaved your legs."  
  
"I shaved them."  
  
"...and?"  
  
She gives them a pat. "They're baby soft, Yas. You have to touch them."  
  
Of all the moments for Yasuo, it is here, watching her blare awful pop music with leg posed and goofy grin, that he realizes she was the only girl for him.


	14. summer.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Modern!AU ) when the world isn't so noisy and nothing else matters, they love to sit in the sunroom together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: today ( or at least, i think it's today from what Skype told me ) is my dear friend Elloise's birthday, so this chapter is dedicated to her! Happy birthday!

When the world is quiet and lazy summer breeze drifts through the window, they idle on the sofa. Yasuo will have his notebook in hand, pen dancing along the page in an unspoken waltz. Beside him, Riven rests her head on his shoulder,  palms crading a mango as its flesh is sliced from the body.   
  
Silence dominates. Settles onto their shoulders. When it seems to stretch for too long, one will look at the other. Yasuo does so by sparing a sidelong glance at her bare chest ( it is hot, after all ) before returning to his work. Riven is less sublte; she moves her head and glances upwards, sometimes doing so mid-bite.   
  
After an hour, they meet the other's gaze, each blinking a few times before slow smiles creep onto their faces. Both then kiss, mixing sticky mango with this morning's coffee.  
  
This, they perform like ritual.


	15. soulmates.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Soulmates AU. ) in which Yasuo and Riven will fall in love & die young, only to repeat the cycle until the end of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: first part is a dream sequence inspired by the book/movie Holes. i modeled their story loosely off of ( Kissin' ) Kate Barlow and her lover, Sam. the rest came after i read some fanfics exploring a ship and how they moved through time, a concept i really like. i also wanted to make a nod to the "canon" verse ( the League verse ). the result was something longer than my usual drabbles, but an idea that i may later come back to if i ever manage to sit down and pick up chapter stories again.

But we loved with a love that was more than love--  
   I and my Annabel Lee. - Edgar Allen Poe  
  
**Texas, 1883**  
  
_In the stillness of nightfall, she says his name like a prayer, mouth wraping around each letter so that it filled the room with its holy._  
  
_"Yas..."_  
  
_His hand stills on her neck. The pulse thrums beneath warm palm._  
  
_"Yas..."_  
  
_They kiss; the hand that cradles honeyed skin grows gentle, fingertips running down the curve of her neck. When he pulls back:_  
  
_"Do you remember?"_  
  
_Just as he asks, fire erupts. The walls, the chalkboard, the books -_  
  
_"Yasuo, the school - "_  
  
_"Do you remember, Riven?"_  
  
_She wants to scream, to shake him, but she can't seem to get a grip on his shirt. Why wasn't he panicking? Why wasn't he afraid?_  
  
_"This place is burning, we have to - "_  
  
_"We'll keep doing this until the end of time. Living. Loving. Dying young."_  
  
_"Please, Yas, don't say that, don't..."_  
  
_Everything burns, but when she tries to scream she suffocates on ash & cinder._  
  
_"We'll meet again."_  
  
  
  
**New York, 2010**  
  
4:29 a.m. She is awake in a fitful state of anxiety, cold sweat running down her neck.  It takes about five minutes of her fumbling around the bed to find her phone.  
  
{ me. } augh, are you awake?  
{ me. } i had that damn dream again.  
  
Not even a minute passes before it buzzes in her hand.  
  
{ Yasuo. } shit, again? me too.  
{ Yasuo. } wait. which one did you have?  
  
{ me. } i...think we were in a schoolhouse? and we were...  
  
Riven pauses over the next key. Did she tell them that, that they were kissing? Maybe it was better if...  
  
 { Yasuo. } were...?  
  
No, no. She had to. This was happening to them too much for it to be a coincidence.  
   
 { me. }  we were kissing. happy. and then...then the school caught on fire and i was screaming, but -  
   
 { Yasuo. } oh my God.  
 { Yasuo. } mine was uh, i think i was a swordsman and so were you - your sword was huge, by the way - and we were.  
 { Yasuo. } don't laugh.  
 { Yasuo. } we were making love when we both started bleeding from chest wounds. i was freaking the fuck out, but you just said 'we'll meet again.'  
  
She pulls up his number and hits the call button.  
  
"Yasuo."  
  
"What."  
  
"You said the same thing in mine."  
  
Silence. Laughter then resonates from the other side, though it is hardly one that sounds happy.  
  
"Okay, Riv, gotta admit. This shit is weirdin' me out."  
  
"It bothers me, too."  
  
More silence.  
  
"...we were together in all of them."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But we are..."  
  
"Riven." He says it so gently she thinks back to the hand that cradled her, heart aching ( her name sounds right coming from him. ) "Don't worry, k?  We're just friends, and I'm not gonna let a bunch of weird ass dreams stop me from hangin' out with you."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Let's go to the movies tomorrow. I think we need some comedy in our lives."  
  
She chuckles.  
  
"I do not think it'd hurt."  
  
"Great. I'll pick you up. Dinner's on me, too."  
  
Both offer a goodnight. She slips the phone beneath the pillow once more before trying to fall back asleep.  
  
( this time, she dreams him as a mortal and her a Goddess. she says she loves him. they both drown. )


	16. rise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Icarus is flying too close to the sun, but it was her warmth that brings him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: i haven't updated in a while ( yikes! ), not because i've lacked inspiration but ( ironically enough ), have had trouble pinning one idea down long enough to get it into a coherent drabble. thanks to a friend, however, i got to thinking about how separating from Yasuo is hard on Riven, NOT because she'll miss him or be lonely ( she will miss him of course ), but because the losses she endured from the war makes her anxious that she might lose somebody like that again. Also, because metaphors. 
> 
> Enjoy! Leave your kudos and comments, they inspire me to keep going !

"That should be it."  
  
What little Yasuo has is hoisted 'pon his shoulder, though he turns his head in either direction just to make sure the campsite is cleared. Maybe now he could -   
  
" Yasuo. "  
  
Her voice is soft ( softer than he is used to ); it floats into the air and hangs heavy above them. He'd been so busy delaying this part that the sun was now peering above the horizon.  
  
( again, he will tell himself, this was temporary. )  
  
"Yasuo, how long..." Feet shift.  "...how long do you - "  
   
"Only suspect it'll be a couple of weeks. I just have to make sure I keep them guessin' about where I - "  
  
"We can take them."   
  
Riven now looks him in the eyes as she nears. "You do not need to keep misleading them. Should they come, we can - "  
  
"Not about takin' them, or even me thinkin' you can't handle yourself."    
  
She parts her lips, but he will tuck her tresses behind an ear and shake his head. "I just don't want them to know. The minute they realize you're with me, it could lead to a new kind of trouble, one that might tip your ol' friends off."  
  
Silence draws out. She leans into his touch, eyes closing ( what did he say so she did not ache? )   
  
"...the sun always rises."  
  
His face twists into confusion. " Yeah, but what - "  
  
" - so then I will be the sun. I will always rise, and you...will always come back."  
  
One eye opens to peer at him. She couldn't help but smile, nor could he as he presses their lips together.   
  
"I'll follow the sun wherever she goes."


	17. betrothal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yasuo can be smooth ( sometimes ) and Riven says yes.

It starts when a strange weight is settled around Riven's neck.  
  
At first, she is left none-the-wiser; her focus is settled on the pond before her, fishing pole held lax as it bobs in the water ( she hadn't any luck for the past half hour. ) In the face of mounting boredom, only the promise of lunch was enough to keep her in place.  
  
Then, the weight.  Nothing before - not the creak of the wood as Yasuo approached, nor his attempt to say hello - registers to her, so it is this gesutre that finally prompts her to put the pole down & touch the newfound object.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
A chuckle reverberates near her ear.  
  
"I don't know. You tell me."  
  
"Well, it _feels_ like a necklace." Her finger runs over the centerpiece, an ornate thing engraved with a symbol she cannot quite place. "And it _feels_ like something you carved."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Riven gives him a sidelong glance, one she tries to make threatening ( but ends up with both of them smiling. )  
  
"Will that be your only answer?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
She traces the pattern again. Parts of it are smooth; circular. As she moves her finger towards the center, parts of it grow shaper; angular. She then thinks of Noxus  & the all-too-familiar insignia embedded within her armor, yet it is decidedly not the same symbol. It seems to rounded out, too 'soft' to be the same...  
  
...then, just as it confuses her, she gasps, turning fully towards Yasuo with an unnamable glimmer in her eyes.  
  
"This is - "  
  
"  - a good look for you? I think so. Be a shame if you took it off. "  
  
" Is this your way of proposing? " Riven then points at him after asking, lips curled into a playful little smirk. " And _don't_ say maybe. "  
  
" I thought about waxin' poetic and gettin' on one knee like your folks do on the mainland,  but I decided to get to the point and uh, ask you to be my wife. "  
  
" Well, "  & a hand cusps Yasuo's jaw, forcing him to turn more towards her until their lips brush together. " It's certainly not a bad way to ask. "  
  
" Now is that your way of sayin' yes? "  
  
Her response is quick, uttered in hushed tones as she's pulled in for a kiss.  
  
" Maybe. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: for a point of reference: the idea of a betrothal necklace came about after referencing Avatar: The Last Airbender and feeling like Ionian wedding customs would fall more in line with Water Tribe customs. the design itself is a blend of Ionia and Noxus' respective insignias carved into a metal that's similar to Yasuo's armguard ( so that it'll last a long time, not rust, can withstand damage, etc. )
> 
> as always, i hope you enjoyed! leave likes/comments as it helps inspire me to continue !


	18. longing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes, there's a need that words can't express.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: nothing substantial about these notes. i'm shameless, more yasriv smut needs to exist, and writing tasteful smut without characters really talking is a lot harder than you think.
> 
> enjoy ! leave kudos/comments, share it around if you're into it - my hit count is slowly going despite this ship not being too popular, so your support thus far is greatly appreciated ♥!

Riven is close to sleeping when he returns.  
  
First, a greeting. His hand - warm && rough with old calluses - brushes over hers until fingers lace together.  She will give it a squeeze; once.  Twice. He does the same.  
  
Then, he wanders. From arm to shoulder, he traces into her skin little circles, each touch all but ghosting. It's enough for her to shudder, to part her lips and pretend as if she only had to yawn.  
  
Yasuo knows this, of course, so he will soon rest his palm 'pon the single sleeve of her dress. Tugging, tugging, until it slips down and, in a fit of impatience, allows him to cusp now bare breasts.  
  
He doesn't have to wait long after that.  
  
Riven hardly sees his visage ( it's dark && the new moon meant little light crept into the hut ), but limited vision does not stop her, instead pressing kisses along his jaw until she finds his lips. Each kiss is gentle, but ravenous; his tongue sweeps her bottom lip, her teeth nip at his. Somewhere between the ache and their labored breathing, she found himself straddling his lap.  
  
Little is shed in the way of clothing. Impatience alone prompts him to push her undergarments to the side & for her to tug down on his pants, only letting the head press briefly against her entrance before both thrust their hips toward the other.  
  
For the first time since his return, she speaks ( though it is little more than reverant prayer on his lips, each word murmured between short, little breaths && half-formed whimpers.)  
  
" Imissed you... so much...please...pleaseYas... "  
  
He rolls his hips upward and only returns with her name, each one louder than the last until their pace quickens, until she's trembling & rocking down so hard the only noise not verbalized was their skin slapping together.  
  
Once they peak - messy kisses and all - they fall back down with her held snug by his arms.  
  
( no matter where he'd gone, Yasuo always found her again. )


	19. set-up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Mercenary/Mafia AU ) in which Katarina is a wingman and not-so-accidentally sets Riven up for a meeting with Yasuo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: i know what you're thinking. 'Jasmine, what the fuck, did you die.' i am here to tell you that i am not dead - more like a combination of utterly lazy AND pretty busy/stressed with the transition from college into adulthood. 
> 
> to make up for that, have some comedy. this is an idea shared between me and my friend Venus, and is based on our Mercenary/Mafia AU. if you can imagine a romcom where an intense gun/knife fight turns into sloppy makeouts, that's probably what this is.
> 
> as always, enjoy! i do apologize for my absence and will try to lessen those stretches of time now that i'm sorta settled. please leave me kudos and/or comments if there's an idea you've been DYING to see!

“You.” 

Boots are near-stomping the floor as Riven enters the doorway, lips twisted into a side-long frown. Whatever Katarina was doing before ( polishing her knives, most likely ) came to a halt, for she’s there to welcome her with wide eyes & a faint smirk.

“ Yes, me. I’m glad you noticed.”

“ You set me up. “ She isn’t bothered about getting into the red-head’s face, arms folded as she narrowed the gap. “ With _him_. “

“ Oh, Riven. “ Putting a hand on her chest, she now does her best to feign pouting. “ Whatever are you – “

“ You gave me a mission to kill a high profile target from the Ionian faction, but you gave me the wrong location. “

“ Now why would I do that? “

Riven eases off. Katarina sits up straight on the desk and retrieves one of her knives, twirling it in dexterous fingers as she did so. “ I gave you the location of where he was last spotted, not where he actually is. Not my fault he got away. “

“ The location should be abandoned, yet I somehow managed to run into one of their bodyguards. “

 Pause. Her growing smirk is not so subtle.

 “ Are you accusing me of something ?”

 “ I am accusing you of sending me to a false location for the purposes of your entertainment, yes. “

 “ Oh, come on. “ Katarina sets the knife down, brow quirked as she turns to her coworker. “ You make it sound like I set you up for a date. It’s not like you fucked ‘em or anything. “

 Another pause. Even tan skin could not quite hide the slight flush of red that emerged on her cheeks.

 “ …wait, you di – “

 " Do not waste my time like that again. “

 With that note, Riven turn on her heel and leaves. If she hadn’t known better, she swore she could heard Katarina ask how good he was just before slamming the door shut.


	20. rematch.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( League/Institute of War AU ) Oh, Riven mains. A lot of sore losers they are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: BEFORE YOU READ, please please please watch this video first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQBrSunV_RQ 
> 
> this is what this chapter is based off of and it is quite possibly the most hilarious thing i've witnessed for a hot minute. i won't spoil the whole thing ( because it's a thing that should be experienced ), but i will at say this much: don't let Riven mains and Yasuo mains exist on the same map, they either seem to flirt excessively or spew a bunch of toxic mess at each other. ( also, the comments are also golden because hey, look at all those filthy YasRiv shippers go. )
> 
> anyway, enjoy, and Happy Holidays/Snowdown fellow Summoners! ♥ hope you're in good company and ready for more adventures on the rift !

" Hey hey, good job on that match out there. "  
  
" Yes. It was quite the match. You have proven sufficient. "  
  
Ezreal gives Yasuo's back a good 'ol smack, grin wide. Orianna merely regards him, ball whirring around her as her limbs & head 'tick' at each joint. From behind them, Rek'sai seems to approve via strange clicks, and Blitzcrank gives out a mechanical 'hahaha!' in turn.  
  
" Just glad it's over. " he can't help but crack a small smile. After a fifty-two minute match of back-and-forth combat, the praise of his teammates was enough to -  
  
" **YASUO**! "  
  
" Oh man it's her, run! "  
  
\- enough to mean nothing, because the sound of one furious woman behind him had them all running with their tails between their legs. Yasuo thinks about following them, too, but by the time he's made up his mind to run, there's hot breath right on his back. " _Turn around_. "  
  
Oh, god. He does indeed turn around, and is somewhere between 'not surprised' and 'absolutely terrified' to see a scowling Riven with her fists clenched  & her eyes narrowed.  
  
" Riven, look. " Now raising his arms, " I had nothing to do with my summoner, they were just really good at - "  
  
" _Be quiet_. "  
  
Yasuo shuts his mouth. Riven grabs the front of his scarf and yanks him down low enough so that they are eye level " I do not care what your summoner was and was not good at. I do not even care that we lost. "  
  
Despite fearing for his life, he decides to ask anyway:  
  
" Then what DO you care about? "  
  
" I care, "  & now she gives the scarf a tug so hard it makes him wince, bringing them closer still. " That you think this is over. "  
  
There's a pause between them. Other champions stare as they pass by. Now, for Yasuo, is  a good time for him to lower the top part of his scarf, just enough so that he can flash a bit of a smirk.  
  
" Are you asking for a rematch? "  
  
" Tonight. One on one, in the top lane. "  
  
" Using the rift outside of sanctioned matches is a crime, Riven. "  
  
" Then it is a crime I'm willing to pay for. "  
  
" And there's no other way I can pay 'ya back for how dirty my summoner did you? "  
  
Another pause. The anger emanating from the Exile slowly turns to a begrudging amusement as she lessens her grip & cups his cheek.  
  
" I have an idea in mind...but only after we have the match. "  
  
" Could be during, too. "  
  
" Do not push your luck. "  
  
Both close what little distance exists. From the distance, an Ezreal will emerge over Orianna's shoulder & shout something about getting a room.


	21. rematch part 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now Riven's sore AND still a sore loser. Guess there's just no winning for her either way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: there's no good reason for this. i re-read my last few chapters and said ' now i feel like i have to make good on the innuendo Yasuo cracked, ' so i did. i mean, he would definitely be the time to keep his word...and no matter how much Riven swears at him or gets huffy about losing, she kinda, sorta, maybe, / i guess / likes being touched by him. 
> 
> so here we are. more smut, no shame. 
> 
> enjoy ! leave your kudos & comments if you liked, they help me to keep going ! ♥

" Tell me what you want. "  
  
Except that she couldn't, not when Yasuo had three fingers buried knuckle-deep between her folds. Any attempt to speak was only met with another thrust, another twist, another curl - all things that earned from her a strangled groan.  
  
" Yas - fuck ! Oh... "  
  
The throaty chuckle rumbles in his chest; with them pressed so close, it's enough to send white-hot electricity rushing down her spine.  
  
" I'm not sure I understood that, Riven. Try again? "  
  
She parts her lips, but not before he manages to slip a fourth digit in and -  
  
" Please! Pleaseplease please... "  
  
Withdrawl doesn't register until their mouths meet & something hard pressed flush against her begins to grind against her clit.  
  
" Still don't know...aha, what you want, love... "  
  
A hand comes flying to grip those short locks.  
  
" I...f-fucking hate you... "  
  
" I don't know about that one... " Another lazy roll of Yasuo's hips is enough to make her body jolt. " You look like you're havin' fun. "  
  
" I wanted - " Riven sucks in a breath through gritted teeth after the third roll. " - a rematch...asshole... "  
  
" We had the rematch. You lost that, too. "  
  
Her grip tightens until she wipes that goddamn smirk off his face.  
  
" Shit - "  
  
" Groping me during the match is cheating, Yasuo. "  
  
They kiss again, gentler than they were before.  
  
" I ain't got an excuse for that one. You're just beautiful. "  
  
God, fucking - damn him! Damn him and that little smile, and his sweet words, and how warm he felt pressed against her but wasn't in her yet and it was driving her _insane_ -  
  
" Please... " A hushed murmur. " Fuck me..." then, shooting a half-hearted glare, " before I change my mind, kick you off, and say I won. "  
  
A snort.  
  
" Alright, alright. No fun with a sore loser. "  
  
The next day, nobody asks about the 'rematch.' The marks loitering Riven's neck  & strange walk tell them enough.


	22. fake.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern / Fake Dating AU: The duo manage to dig themselves into a hole; now, the only way out is by going along with it. Too bad the past is still a thing and Yasuo hasn't let it all go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: a couple of quick things:
> 
> a) i read some 'fake marriage/dating' prompts and had to do one like, immediately. this little series is my light hearted pick-me-up since To Fell a Nation is 'serious business,' but i still want to play with some tension !
> 
> b) i honestly don't think Riven and Yasuo are their 'real' names, but they don't tell people that by and large. me playing with that isn't new, but the first time i brought it up had to do with a specific thing my friend and i built up around our old roleplays. since things - and my opinion - have changed, i have new names that i'm going to start dropping on occasion because look, i'm a sucker for them using each other's names as a way to show intimacy. 
> 
> enjoy ! keep your eyes peeled for my TFaN update tomorrow ♥ and as always, let me know that you're enjoying my work !
> 
> ( P.S. in case you were wondering what Yasuo's is since i didn't use it yet, it's Arashi :^) )

" And you're _sure_ about this? "  
  
Voices float around the room. Feet shuffle against the tile. With the wedding 'official'  & dinner not yet set at the tables, guests kept themselves busy; most lingered in small groups, hands animated as they catch others up to speed on the happenings in their life. Others crowded around the appetizers, munching on whatever snack was the easiest to pronounce while making the occasional face.  
  
If Yasuo had it his way, he'd be off in a corner too.  
  
" Yes. "  
  
Pause.  
  
 " Why? Do you find the thought repulsive or something? Surely I am not that unpleasant. "  
  
" What the - no ! "  
  
His head snaps to look back at Riven, whose arms folded under her chest as she narrowed her eyes.  " No...not even a little. "  
  
Her gaze softens up, brows knitting upward.  
  
" Then what is it? You seem...hesitant. "  
  
" Just nerves. "  
  
Nerves, right. All nerves. Nevermind the fact that she looked so lovely tonight, red dress hugging her curves in all the right places,  or how that long hair was pinned so neatly to the side of her head with loose curls accenting her visage...  
  
" You are nervous? " She steps closer to him, hand resting on his arm.  Yasuo bites the inside of his cheek to stop the otherwise antsy 'fuck' that wanted to leave his throat. " But this is not the first time we -  
  
" That was years ago, Riven. We were just a couple of teenagers... "  
  
The doors to the reception room swing open, revealing the newlywed couple.  
  
" Quick, while they are walking towards us. "  
  
He struggles to tear away from the interruption.  
  
" Yasuo... "  
  
He does a double take between them and Riven.  
  
" Please...kiss me now. "  
  
The urgency laced in her whisper does him in. He's quick to reel her in for a kiss, one hand moving to rest on the small of her back while thee other, her cheek.  
  
Once the click of the bride's heels seem to fade back into the noise, they part, though their foreheads rest together.  
  
" Convincing enough? "  
  
" It - was, yes. " Riven's lips twitch into a nervous smile. " You, ah....have not lost your touch since our youth. "  
  
" I, uhm...y'know, right back at 'ya. "  
  
Another pause. Both try to find something different to look at, gazes shifting until their eyes meet once more.  
  
" I...believe we do not need to stay so close. "  
  
" Right, right. "  
  
They pull away and let out a nervous chuckle.  
  
" Refreshments? "  
  
" What? Nah, I can get my own - "  
  
" I insist! "  
  
The outburst gathers some curious stares. Riven was now just as red as her dress.  
  
" I mean...I - allow me. It is the least I can do for you helping me... "  
  
Yasuo doesn't even get another word in before she scurries off, leaving him to run a hand through short locks.  
  
' _i thought we were gonna let this stay behind us, Amara..._ '


	23. showtime.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( High Noon/ Battle Bunny AU ) It started out with Yasuo just wanting a few moments with her, but he and Riven both know there's more on their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: it's Easter, which means historically inaccurate Ye Olde Westerns and the only appropriate time that i use Battle Bunny Riven in any of my writing. 
> 
> there will be no update for To Fell a Nation this week; i do have the next chapter in mind, but i'm thinking out how i want it to flow a bit more before i go full steam. besides, this is a once-a-year kinda thing, Desperado got me in my feels, and you know....well, you know now because you're about to read it.
> 
> Happy Easter, and enjoy! TFaN will be back next week ♥

" You wanted to see me? "  
  
Despite how smooth the next dancer was ( she _did_ has quite the high-kick, Yasuo thinks ), she didn't have the same sway in her hips, the same waist-length hair that swung with each step. Hell, even when it seemed like she saw right through the cowboy, he only imagined the piercing gaze of the woman before, amber irises glimmering against the moonlit backdrop.  
  
He didn't even reach the halfway point before he made a break towards the bar, emptying his pockets so that he might have a second chance.   
  
" Yes. " Right to the point, though his voice is quiet in his throat. Seeing honeyed skin glow under the light was enough to rob him of proper thought. " I, uh...liked your show. A lot. "  
  
" Did you? " Riven chuckles. Her heels click & clack against the rickety wood, stopping only when she hovers above him. Yasuo has to swallow down the lump in his throat so he can keep talking. " I am glad. "  
  
He reaches deep for something to say, some witty quip about how she was really just in it for the money and how men were fools and how he agrees because he's the biggest fool of them all...  
  
...but the warmth pooling in his groin when she settles on his lap ensures his silence.  
  
" You uh...I...didn't have enough for a lapda - "  
  
" Few pay for a private show to begin with. "   
  
Her hips grind into his. Yasuo's hand flies straight for her lower back, keeping her close as he glances up.   
  
" You givin' me a five-star treatment, then? Seems awfully nice of 'ya. "  
  
Riven finds a rhythm to fall into, one in line with the beat thrumming from the front. In turn, he starts to move with her, every bit of him trapped tight around her fingers.  
  
" As if you came back here just to gawk at me. "  
  
Her hand finds the back of Yasuo's head, lifting the hat up a couple of inches as she grips short locks.   
  
" Maybe I did. "  
  
Wrong thing to say. He's punished with a slow grind of her hips that goes right into his groin, forcing a jolt to escape.   
  
" Shit... "  
  
" I thought so. "   
  
Those lips twitch into a faint smirk. He deliberates on taking it right off her face with a kiss -   
  
" I still didn't think it'd come with a lapdance. "  
  
Pause. Their breath hitches in tandem; any pretense about a 'quick' service dissolves as Yasuo lets his hand roam down until it rests on her ass.    
  
"  And I... " Riven seems to wince, but it was more of an effort to look as if she had control, " ...told you that I was feeling generous. It's rare to see somebody catch my eye in that crowd. "  
  
" That so? You must get a lotta ugly folk comin through if that's how 'ya feel. "  
  
Another hitch. Her thighs part a bit more, and she rocks against her now half-hard client.   
  
" You could say that. "  
  
Just as he gets into it, the grinding winds down. Eyes, now meeting as they still.   
  
" Do you have a place for the night? "  
  
Yasuo's eyes trace Riven's figure before a smirk starts to form.  
  
" I might, but it's just me....think it could use a little company. "  
  
She wears a smirk to match his own.  
  
" Lead the way, cowboy. "


	24. invitation.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern!AU ) Talon and Katarina get an invite from the Inoue family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: nothing particular about this chapter. i'm using it to build more of my long-standing headcanons with them, so here's a couple of ' fun facts ' if you wanted to know them: 
> 
> 1) in case you were curious, Inoue is a surname that means 'well' or 'pit.' Arashi is - er, obviously - Japanese for 'storm' and Amara is Igbo for 'God's Grace'. in other words, it sort of comes out to 'storm well 'and 'God's grace...well?' respectively. or to some extent ( i really just like names, okay. )
> 
> 2) Riven is a huge fan of adopting dogs from the shelter, esp. because she does not take interest in/does not want children. there's another reason why, but i'm saving it for TFaN since that's where a hefty amount of 'character building' will go - this drabble series is just more about "small" things that help establish them as i've portrayed them in the last couple of years.
> 
> anyway, enjoy ! keep your eyes out for the next TFaN update, i'm going to do what i can to get it up this weekend!

" Check it out. "  
  
Talon doesn't reply, instead offering his attention by lifting his head up from his book & sparing a glance over towards the source.  Just shortly after the announcement, a body matches up to the voice; Katarina emerges in the sun room's doorway, arms crossed as a slim piece of cardstock dangles from between her fingers.  
  
" Got an invitation. "  
  
He shuts the book and makes it a replacement from where he once sat. A few quick steps and he now hovers above her, glancing down at said postcard while cocking a brow.  
  
"  You interrupted my reading for an invitation, Katarina? "  
  
" Oh, don't be a drag. "  
  
Fingers twirl the card around. Once, twice -  
  
" It's an invite to the Inoue family dinner this Christmas. "  
  
" Inoue... " _Ah._ Right, yes. How did he forget that his own friend was married? " Let me see. "  
  
Katarina holds it up, back facing Talon. He skims the neat little penmanship as follows:  
  
' _Greetings from the Inoue family !_  
  
_Time flies quick; this will be our second Holiday season spent together as a family, and we'd like you to come by and visit for a big dinner on the 19th. There's no need to bring the food - we got you covered! Just let us know you're coming by the 10th so we can save you a spot._  
  
_See you then!_  
  
_Sincerely,_  
  
_Arashi and Amara Inoue._ '  
  
" So, are we reserving some spots or not? "  
  
Again, Talon furrows his brows, but this time in thought.  
  
" It said 'family' on there...did they - "  
  
" Don't be stupid. "  
  
Katarina flips the card over. On it is Riven and Yasuo in what one might deem an 'ugly' sweater, what with the forest green shade  & patchwork reindeer. From the looks on their faces - a wide grin from her, a bemused half-smile from him - Talon knows who came up with the idea. In that wide, grinning woman's lap is is a golden retriever, tongue out as it faces the camera in the same sweater.  
  
Three more dogs flank their legs in different poses. On Yasuo's shoulder, the cat, whose facial expression likely better described how the owner felt about all this.  
  
" Typical of her. " He snorts, though his lips twitch into a faint smirk.  " And here I thought... "  
  
" Somebody must be asking about kids. " Katarina muses as she plays with the card some more.  
  
" In that case, I'd do the same thing. "  
  
" You're telling me. " She adjusts her posture, now standing up straight ( though it still pales to Talon's full height. ) " So, are we going? "  
  
" Why not. I may not know her...husband that well, but his food is always good. "  
  
' _and free,_ ' though such a thought is arbritary when the pair could afford a whole mall's worth of food to themselves.  
  
" I'll call her and set it up."  
  
The pair exit the sunroom, though not before Talon muses:  
  
" ...wasn't that her fourth dog? I swear she only had three last year. "


	25. part.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Angelblade/Demonblade AU ) Riven is the leader of a powerful order, one tasked to slay dangerous Fallen. unfortunately for her, one such Fallen makes that more difficult than she'd care to admit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: first i'd just like to say thank you to Riot for making my ship canon, you're wonderful and i knew you shipped it too. 
> 
> anyway, i was going to do this as SOON as i saw the leaked skins, but my level of excitement flew out the roof once the actual content came out. needless to say, i'm screaming. i know the skins are now officially called Dawnbringer/Nightbringer, but i've already been developing the verse under the Angel/Demon premise, so i'm going to stick with that and flesh it out through this series. while i have a lot of notes about the particulars, i don't want to bog it down since this is all very new, so while i'm writing this with a particular image/idea in mind, you're open to interpreting it as you see fit !
> 
> some of the lines come from the video itself, and the last few lines that come from the video come from the poem 'When We Two Parted' by George Byron, so i promise i didn't turn 18th century for no reason on y'all. for more context, i would really recommend you check out Nightbringer Yasuo/Dawnbringer Riven on Skin Spotlights over @ Youtube so you can get a feel for it because the voice acting is so ♥
> 
> enjoy! kudos/comments are fantastic fuel!

" You are wrong about this outcome. "   
  
Tempered light flares from the tips of her fingers, hand but a few hairs away from the demon's chest. She need not touch him for her to devastate; already, the skin that she ghosts over begins to smoke & sear as if desperate to find shelter.   
  
Just another inch...  
  
" I will live. "  
  
Why did she hesitate?   
  
" And you... "  
  
It must be now!   
  
" You will _kneel_. "  
  
Indecision betrays the angel. After having shown no promise to make good on her threat, she leaves herself open; with just a blink, his digitsgrasp her wrist tight, weight shifting so that she was now the one pinned beneath her foe.   
  
The grip should hurt more. His darkness should fester at the open wound. Riven instead finds a strange warmth radiating from palm to wrist.   
  
" No. You...will _break._ "  
  
Any retaliation she could've mustered is silenced by a clawed finger brushing against her lips. His palm then cradles her chin and forces her to look him in the eye. In them, she wants to find the monster that she new he could turn into when the winds transformed him. In them, she wanted to find the reason to loathe him so.  
  
" Look at you, angel. " Yasuo's voice rasps with each word, bearing towards her a lazy smirk as he leans in ( her heart will flutter in kind. ) " Now you've no words to spare me? No threats, no violence... "  
  
She could do it now, sear his hand and free herself. She could even say he was too much a match ( they were even ) and flee in fearing for her life ( she didn't. ) The other angels would know no wiser.   
  
Their lips come to ghost against each other.   
  
" They know not I knew thee...who knew thee too well. " She murmurs.  
  
"Long, long shall I rue thee, too deeply to tell." He replies, just before sealing her lips with a kiss.   
  
( In secret we met--  
   In silence I grieve. )  
  
  
)


	26. dark.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Angelblade / Demonblade AU ) Riven starts seeing the beauty of shadows in the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: nothing significant to add here. expect me to stay in Angelblade/Demonblade hell for a hot minute tho, and for updates to TFaN to be delayed. it's not every day Riot treats me to my OTP.
> 
> and as usual, you know the drill. i like likes, i like kudos. ♥ thanks for reading !

' _the light is defined by darkness._ '

Such a thought had not left Riven since the last encounter. Where she would once see the peering rays of dawn on the floors beneath her feet, she now saw shadows strike from window-to-window, hard angles leaving patches of dark in an otherwise glowing room. Where she would once admire the pinks & oranges of dusk, she would now come to hunt for the moon's silhouette.

In him, she looked for the same; the dips, the curves, the angles. She'd study how the shadow would give his cheekbones more depth when he had his head turned. She'd memorize where man ended & demon began, tracing tanned skin until she found the black of his arm, the tips of his claws. Even when they'd kiss - eyes closed and all - she'd try to picture his dark hand pressed to her wing, palm casting its own shadow over her feathers.

It's no wonder she found herself back in the spot from where they spoke before.

" You are not coy, Yasuo. " A hand comes to rest on the tree trunk as gaze darts about. " I know you are near. "

Pause. Leaves rustle. The corners of Riven's lips twitch upward.

" Is that how you wish to be? "

Another rustle. This time, it stirs the whole branch opposite her, but nothing emerges.

" So be it. "

Her hand leaves the tree as she raises her head towards the noise's source.

" From nothing, there will always come two. "

Here, she expects something - preferably him - leap down and announce himself, teeth on display as he greets her with a cursory sort of grin.

Instead, warmth pools around her waist as arms come to encircle her. The heat then spreads from head to back as another figure presses close, body shuddering when lips find her ear.

" I am here. "

Her hand slides over his until her fingers find a place to fit. The upturn of her lips then turns into a full smile.

" Your hiding skills leave much to be desired. "

A kiss is offered to the shell of her ear before she gets a murmured response.

" As does your ability to be secretive, my angel. Your heartbeat gets quite loud when you draw near... "

Riven prepares her retort, but is rendered silence when Yasuo presses:

" And if I do this...  " Another pause. Those cursed lips begin to trail from ear to neck, leaving in their wake a series of kisses that melts her to the core. " It quickens even more. "

Her breath hitches tight in her throat, but she wasn't ready to give in just yet.

" You tease. "

" Do you deny me? "

She turns on the balls of her feet, hand coming to cusp his cheek. The grip around her waist grows tighter. With night out, little light meant that she couldn't see the same shadows cast over his cheeks.

" Never. "

And perhaps that too was beautiful, the shroud of darkness that conceal them so.


	27. light.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Angelblade / Demonblade AU ) Yasuo sees the beauty of the light in the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so i've noticed that every 3rd-4th chapter..........i write smut. without fail ! and you know, i want to have a cool explanation for that ( like " it's planned, guys! it's a part of the layout!" ) but really - honestly - i have been a gratuitous smut writer since early FF.net days. besides, i think these two do/would bang like rabbits.......so maybe with hindsight, it IS planned.
> 
> ( no it's not )
> 
> at any rate, another chapter up ! this sort of violates my drabble policy as i genuinely try to keep each one no more than 500 words ( which also technically violates the "roughly" 100 policy ), but this one is a direct response to my last chapter and is meant to parallel each other. i still am gushing over this verse and wanted to explore how these two start to see the "opposite" as less of an enemy, and as more them becoming a whole....so, i'm willing to break my rules just this once.
> 
> enjoy !! i like them kudos, i like them comments ♥ and i am happy to see more people coming around for this ship !!!

' _darkness gives form to the light_. '  
  
The Fallen were not want for the light. Light is what cast them from Above. Light is what denied them knowledge; pleasure. All light had done for them was persist in being the only way from which all could exist, damning those who dared question the very order of their once joined world.  
  
Yasuo had seen it no differently, not at first.  He felt the dark to be honest. Comforting, even, for it did not discriminate the sinners from the saints, but took them all with a blind eye.  
  
Now? He thinks he's grown soft.  
  
She made the light beautiful beyond comprehension. Where he would once see the absence of shadow in the dawn's becoming, he now saw its glow, its lazy yellows spilling forth until the earth blushed with color.  Where he would once admire the shroud of night, he would now seek out the brilliance of sunlight.  
  
In her - even now, at this moment - he searches for the same. He studies how the rosy  & sleepy-eyed pinks of sunset fall on her bare body, how her breasts rise and fall with each labored breath and how she will part those rosied lips as crossed legs draw back so that slick folds were now bare for him to witness.  
  
Yasuo restrains from caving, at least for the moment. He will instead opt to run clawed fingers along her legs, holding them in place.  
  
( what are you doing to me? )  
  
" Riven. " The call beckons, but she does not return his glance, eyelids still shut as her teeth worry her bottom lip. It's when he catches sight of her fingers working the sheets, curling & uncurling them in her fist that his free hand finds hers.  
  
" Angel...look at me, my angel. "  
  
Her fingers pause. Twitch, twitch, witch.  Then, find Yasuo's hand in hers, grip now growing tight as she fits herself between each knuckle. She then turns her head and opens her eyes, though the lip biting does not cease until she speaks.  
  
" You make me wait. " The words promised impatience, but the tone only laid bare her ache. " Yasuo... "  
  
Here, he would quip ( ' did they not teach you that patience was a virtue? ' ), but instead finds his untangled hand moving from legs to cheek, to jaw, to lips.  The ache was matched, but -  
  
" Tell me what you want. "  
  
She didn't have to.  
  
Riven's lips press little kisses to his thumb, pupils dilated and eyes glazed over as they stare up at him. It's enough to prompt him forward, head pressed flush against her until she she had accepted, more, and more, until she stretched to fit him wholly, until the heat around his cock sends him to a dizzying sort of nirvana.  
  
" Oh... "  
  
A rhythm befalls them; it is slow to start, but the uncrossing of her legs prompts him to instead fit them on his shoulders and angle himself deeper still. Their lips meet not long after, each kiss nothing more than fleeting pecks between each thrust.  
  
" Yas... "  
  
Thrust.  
  
" Yas... ohmy God... "  
  
Again, this time harder.  
  
" Iwant you..."  
  
Again, and more, and more, and more, until that familiar edge seems to be calling them both and they, willing, take the leap.  
  
" Oh GodI'm gonnacome please Iwant - "  
  
Yasuo leaps first; as she begins to clench and tremble around him, each roll of his hips grows more erractic before stilling. After the initial tensing of his jaw & abdomen, he finds release in her, filling her until she is, in turn, rocking against him with nothing but his name half-formed in her mouth.  
  
Moments then pass. Even after the finish, Riven's hand still shakes in his, and it's all he can do to hold it tighter. When it doesn't seem to quie still, Yasuo then lifts it up to his cheek, where he then turns his head & presses little kisses into the palm.  
  
" You still shake, angel. "  
  
" I am...fine." She gives his hand a more affirming squeeze, scrunching up her shoulders a bit as her lips twitch upward. " You are just...ah, erm... "  
  
" Just...? " His mouth does much the same, though he's less afraid to hide his smile to her.  
  
" Just...oh, how shall I say... "  
  
" Well. " Now the smile turns to a little smirk. " There's 'fantastic,' 'amazing,' 'incredible...' but 'mind-blowing' suits me just as well. "  
  
" Ha. ha. "  
  
A pause, before Riven ends up shaking her head and chuckling for real.  
  
" ...Fine. I suppose I can settle for amazing. "  
  
" Good. " He begins to press kisses onto her fingers. " Then I will call you perfect. "  
  
She clears her throat before speaking with a gruff voice: " ' We are not meant for perfection, angel.' "  
  
" And I still think that. " Yasuo leans down and captures her lips in a deep kiss. " Just not about you. "  
  
" I am not perfect. "  
  
Now he will be the one to squeeze her hand.  
  
" You are to me. "  
  
The light clings to the sheets, to the bedframe, to Riven.  
  
And perhaps that too was beautiful, the way light drove out all the shadows.


	28. complicate.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) Yasuo's solution to possibly being in love with what should be his enemy: drink, flirt with random strangers, and hope it works out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: you can choose to see this as a companion piece that will fit in to the bigger To Fell a Nation world, or a standalone where they're just alleged 'enemies' who end up connecting and understanding each other in ways that transcend borders - your pick !
> 
> all said, this is a good time to update you quickly about my TFaN progress: i...erm, am still working on it. i am sitting on ideas for the next couple of chapters, and the engine is going again now that i'm slowly falling out of Dawnbringer/Nightbringer hell, but i won't promise anything. i will, if nothing else, *try* in the next few weeks here!
> 
> enjoy ! you know the drill. stay tuned for the next one ♥

It starts because Yasuo is once more caught at an average bar with some average sake & the girl right next to him - a sweet thing with wide, brown eyes - keeps shooting him sidelong glances when she's not taking swigs of her own drink.  
  
First, they talk. She shares her name ( he forgets ) and he shares his ( ' _Arashi, huh? not everyday i hear that name_ ' ), then they share a story or two that's bound to get a decent chuckle from the other.  
  
Next, they drink. He's got some spare coin so he buys one for her and she smiles, lips glossed with what must be a light pink because when the light catches them, they glimmer. Why, the smile itself is so nice he even thinks about buying her a third round if it means she'll keep him company just one minute longer.  
  
There was, however, no need for the formality.  
  
The girl gets right to the point after she downs her second drink,  her smile still light & airy. She then bats her eyelids - once, twice - before parting her lips to speak:  
  
" Are you doing anything tonight? "  
  
Yasuo doesn't answer right away. He's got the excuse of being in mid-drink when she asks, time enough for him to let the sake warm his throat and for his thoughts to wander. If he goes with her ( and surely, he _could_ ), he imagines he'd pay an extra penny to put them up at an inn, a decent one with some privacy. He could undo that troublesome garment of hers with a quick tug of his hand, palm pressed to her back as it slides down and finds her jutting vertebrae one by one by one...  
  
...but, even as the image unfolds, even as he wills himself to imagine her undone beneath him, the idea is no more exciting to him than watching dirt blow loose in the wind.  
  
And so he puts his drink down, turning back to her with nothing more than the ghost of a smirk. Was it even the girl's company that he wanted, or just company to speak of?  " Sorry, sweetheart, but I think you're a little young for me. "  
  
" As if. " She presses a hand to her mouth and giggles before shaking her head. " Would you think twenty-four too young for your tastes when you yourself don't seem a day over twenty-seven? "  
  
" Maybe. " Letting out a little chuckle of his own, now. " I tend to like them just a bit older. "  
  
" Older? Absurd! " Now she's laughing, though it too is just as light as her smile. " How much older could you want?  "  
  
" Early thirties never hurt anybody. "  
  
Early thirties, and with hair that spilled from crown to waist in loose, little curls with sun-kissed skin and a smile that the spirits themselves had surely blessed...  
  
" You are...seeing somebody, aren't you? "  
  
The question is enough for all of Yasuo's wandering thoughts to conjure that single image of **her** , and it's the same thought - the one with him undoing that pesky, rag-tag dress of hers until she lay bare and wanting, that makes him realize only she could nurture in him an ache that had no words, no language.  
  
" It's complicated. "  
  
" I see. "  
  
The girl slides out of her seat and slaps a tip on the table. Yasuo doesn't so much as get another word in before she's leaving, but not without her words floating in the air:  
  
" Maybe you should spend less time trying to see if you can hook up with a stranger, and more time figuring out what they mean to you. "  
  
Yasuo turns back to his drink and stares into the bottom of his cup.  
  
If only it were that easy.


	29. cycle.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Dawnbringer / Nightbringer AU ) Order. Chaos. the cycle of one reigning over the other until they reset was a dance older than time, yet parting from each other will never get easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: veering from my 'angel/demon' set up to do the 'official' Dawnbringer/Nightbringer because the comic ending is out so a) i'm fucked up, b) i'm fucked up, and c) i am very. fucked up. 
> 
> RIOT !!!!!!
> 
> anyway, i did want to say briefly here that be on the look-out in the next few chapters for a 'break;' with this project spanning 1.5 years and gaining 3x the hits per chapter than it usually does, i want to give it a proper celebration, so i will be making a poll for readers to vote on for a special chapter because hey ! i couldn't have gotten this far without your support and i'm so very happy to see this ship go from 'them? ugh, no way!' into something that people are starting to get into and see as possible. 
> 
> until then, enjoy ♥ let me now afk while i drink my own tears over this.

 

she walks in beauty, like the night / of cloudless climes and starry skies;  
and all that's best of **dark** and _bright_ / meet in her aspect, and in her eyes.  ― _she walks in beauty_ , lord byron

 

" You have won. "  
  
The declaration does little more than state the obvious, for it brought no joy, no _glee_ to the ending. Blow for blow they matched until she left her self too wide an opening, the likes of which he used to leave his mark on exposed chest with a swinging blow.  
  
All that remain now was the Dawn on her knees.  
  
" What is winning... " The Night turns his back. Looking at her radiance be nothing more but a dimming light was more than he could bare, even if by his own doing.  " ...but an end? "  
  
Conviction falters. He swore this time he would let her go quick, without ceremony. Instead, he turns his head enough to catch an arm outstretched to him.  
  
It was all the Night needed to go to her in the end.  
  
" An end... " The Dawn muses under her breath. Her fingers begin to curl beneath his jaw once he draws close. " Or... "  
  
_Or._ He lets her word hang in the air as he draws closer still, foreheads now pressed together as his own hand rests on the small of her back.  " A new beginning. "  
  
Pause. The Dawn parts her lips - open, close, open - before near-whispering:  
  
" You make our parting hard when you hold me like this. "  
  
" The universe will be empty until you return again. " The Night runs his free hand along hers, bringing it up from jaw to cheek so that he could hold it there for but a moment longer.  
  
" You fear for nothing. I will come to as I always do. "  
  
Light begins to leak from the wound. Her form then begins to grow fainter.  
  
" Wait for me, my night. "  
  
He relinquishes, rising back to his feet and stepping back as she began to ascend. Soon, the outline becomes nothing but a ball of light, scattering into ash-like embers in the wind.  
  
The sword is next abandoned. After a moment is spent inspecting it ( her light merged with the fire, crafting a bright, blue blaze that licked the blade ), the Night stabs the earth where her body once lay. He then turns on his heel and begins his trek, left now in a world where Chaos' time to reign has come.  
  
One last look is spared towards the skies.  
  
_' i will always wait for you, my dawn_. '  



	30. possess.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern / Fake Dating AU ) Riven thinks much like how you can't control your height, or your hair color, you can't control the way you come back to somebody. Maybe that's why she was as much her trauma as she was still in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: and here's the results of your votes! winners were Modern ( Fake Dating AU ) + the word 'possess.' i have to say this was easily one of my favorite ones to right because i got to show more depth to their relationship - i'm hoping to use more drabbles for this verse in the future to show why they stopped being a 'thing' to why they'll inevitably be a thing because you know what, i'm a big sucker for the AUs where they think they can handle just onneeee little kiss or have sex once without remembering why they loved each other to begin with. :)
> 
> at any rate, i'm sure i'll see my 1,000th hit fly in this week so i just wanna say thank you all again for getting me this far, and i hope to do more of those votes in the future! it was so nice making this as interactive as it was !
> 
> now you know the drill. enjoy! ♥

i don't know what to call you anymore. "ex" sounds too violent, "former boyfriend" too much like you're dead, "old flame" too casual.  
you were the whole forest **fire,** not just a single _flame_.  - _[ephemarrow](http://ephemarrow.tumblr.com/post/127901121796/on-that-first-day-when-i-got-coffee-and-you-got), THE THING ABOUT TREES IS THAT ALL OF THEM BURN._

* * *

 

Riven didn't have to call him.  
  
She didn't have to reach for the phone, didn't have to dial the numbers. The flashback/nightmare hybrid could've come and gone in a blur as it always has, in its reds & browns with the high not being the explosion that sent -  
  
No, no. Pause. Deep breaths. She can just keep petting her dog; with enough time & a little comfort from them, it'd put her back to sleep and the next day would carry on as was buisness.  
  
Yet, such thoughts don't stall her.  
  
The dialing is automatic, a phantom sensation from when she'd borrow the landline and call him to her. Even their conversation - a ' _baby, what's wrong_ ' and a ' _can you come over?_ ' - emerges to surface, despite their still being "only" friends.  
  
Maybe that's just not something she can shake off, she thinks. Maybe she couldn't sweat it out, work out, scream out or sleep out - maybe, like height, or hair, that instinct was threaded right into her genetics.  
  
He can't seem to shake it out either.  
  
She only asked, but the door was opened after twenty minutes. She only asked, but he'd found her in the dark, lit up only by the dull glower of her screen nd a deep frown cutting her features as she held herself.  
  
The rest is but a minute at best. Yasuo drops his backpack to the ground, gets in the bed, and pulls her down with him once he can, phone discarded on the nightstand.  
  
" Riven. "  
  
She opts to stay silent, still halfway in the hallway of her memory and halfway drifting into his warmth. Should she put her hand somewhere? His chest, perhaps? Or maybe it could just...  
  
" Riven... "  
  
Her fingers twitch, still formed into fists as she lay resting on his shoulder. This was good enough, any more and it'd just be -  
  
" Amara. "  
  
The call of her birth name removes her from the hallway.  
  
" Sorry. " With a shaking hand, she decides to put a palm on his chest and nestles clozer, nose ghosting along his jaw. "I know it's late..."  
  
" Don't care. " Yasuo's hand moves from the small of her back to the back of her head, fingers interwoven now with her long, curling locks. " I just want you to stay in the present with me, alright? Your nightmare's not gonna keep on botherin' you. "  
  
" I am...trying. " She sucks up a deep breath. Her hand smooths out the wrinkles in his tee in an effort to focus on how the texture feels. When that doesn't work ( and it seems he knows that, because he's got his head turned toward her now, ) his fingers start to massage her scalp.  "...I think a distraction could help. "  
  
" We don't have to stay here. We can go walk, or even drive... "  
  
" ...tell me your favorite memory. "  
  
The light outlines his features; just as he parts his lips -  
  
" Of us. "  
  
Pause. He closes his mouth, keeps it that way for what seemed like a decade, then:  
  
" This. "  
  
" This? "  
  
" _Yes_ , this. "  
  
And there was something in that little smirk, in the glint of his eyes that  held Riven captive. He would speak back to their little 'sleepovers,' the ones where he'd pick her up because she called at three in the morning and they'd just talk until their hands, their mouths, their bodies came winding towards each other until two became one.  
  
Now was no different. The memory of then seems to possess them; soon, her hand trails his chest until they run the length of his waist band. His hand goes down her back again until he's found the underside of her gown and has a hand on bare skin.  
  
To complete the picture their lips brush against each other, threatening ( or promising, even pleading ) more.  
  
" We shouldn't. "  Yasuo murmurs.  
  
" Absolutely not. " Riven returns.  
  
" We only agreed that kiss was one time. "  
  
" And that date was a practice in case they ever asked us to do a double. "  
  
Her hand dips and brushes over his groin before giving a little squeeze.  His hand dips and begins to part her. Both do a poor job of surpressing their respective groans.  
  
" This can be practice, too. It's been years since we've... "  
  
Both give little smirks.  
  
" That is a funny way of saying you've been wanting to fuck me for a while. " Pause. " How long? "  
  
" Probably the date. You ?"  
  
" Me? "  
  
" Your hand went in one direction there, I don't think it's just me. "  
  
" ...since the kiss. "  
  
" What the hell, Riv? "  
  
Yasuo tries not to laugh as he rolls on top, hands on either side of her head now while Riven wraps them around his neck.  
  
" What? I meant what I said...you haven't lost your touch. "  
  
" Let's hope I haven't lost it here, then. "  
  
The kiss itself comes quick, but the feeling that sweeps Riven after burns both in the pit of her belly and in her chest. Those reds and browns become a sweeping blue, the warmth of his mouth a calming white.  
  
Tomorrow, they'd promise just this time, but for now she wanted to stay lost in the one something that war and illness hadn't ripped from her yet.


	31. peace.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse. ) Riven's okay with being selfish if it means she gets to feel the peace she never had back in Noxus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: nothing new to report; i'm just building off of my previously established drabbles where they talked about building a home and wanted to show off more of their default 'endgame' for them both. while i think Riven set about planning on how she could best fix Noxus, meeting Yasuo & subsequently falling in love made her realize that it wasn't the ONLY way for her to come to terms with things/with her past. she gets to have a choice, so she chose to be happy.
> 
> anyway, afk while i go cry. you already know what to do - like, comment, share ! stay tuned for more of these losers ♥

If somebody told Riven a year ago that she'd be settled in the country that she once invaded, home built by her bare hands on the southern coast ( & married no less! ), she'd have laughed in their face and left, thinking them no wiser than an average drunk.  People like her - the ones born & bred by violent hands - weren't meant to find these endings on the last page of their story.  
  
She was prepared to pay for what she'd sewn. She was certain that without the redeeming of her country, she could not rest, could not settle.  
  
Yet, she finds herself here.  In the present, she sits atop their wooden steps beneath the setting sun, dress catching the tail end of the breeze as it lifts and sways around her ankles. On one side, her four-tailed companion; on the other, her husband, arm wrapped loose around her shoulders with his hand ( not-so ) carefully settled on her strap.  
  
" I think it's gonna be a full moon tonight. "  
  
Yasuo's words stir her out of her little reverie. In turn, her hand comes to rest on his chest, and her head settles on his shoulder.  
  
" I thought it was new this time. It was full just a week and a half ago. "  
  
" Not a chance. New moon was on the seventh of this month. "  
  
" Oh?  I just think you're wrong. "  
  
" _I'm_ wrong? You don't even sound sure about your guess. "  
  
" I don't have to be sure about whether or not I'm right. Knowing _you_ are wrong is enough. "  
  
Her shoulder is squeezed & pulled towards him, strap lackadaisical as it tugs the garment down just enough to expose a part of her breast, though she hardly minds as their lips find each other in a warm kiss.  
  
" Is that how this works? "  
  
" That's how it has always worked. " Pause. Lips curl into a teasing smile as she eyes him. " Do you mean to tell me we are together for a different reason? "  
  
" Y'know, I haven't thought of it like that. " A quick peck to her lips. " I thought we were together because, oh, I don't know... "  
  
Pause. Again, they kiss.  " We have a lot in common... "  
  
Kiss.  
  
" We understand each other... "  
  
Kiss.  
  
" I like that fiery temperament of yours... "  
  
Kiss.  
  
" And it doesn't hurt that you're also the most beautiful woman I've had the pleasure of meeting. "  
  
Kiss, kiss, kiss. Muted giggles escape her throat as her hands cup either side of his face, keeping him there for a moment longer.  
  
" What about all that? "  
  
" I **suppose** it can be all of that, too. "  
  
Their gazes linger, lazy smiles still settled on both of their features until the dog perks up.  
  
" I think she wants a walk. " Yasuo nods toward the dog.  
  
" Sounds about right. " Riven does a double-take between the two before she starts sliding her hand along the step. Once she feels leather beneath her palm, she hoists the leash up, waving the end in front of him. " Perhaps you'll join me ? "  
  
" Might be a tight fit into my schedule, but I guess I can make time. "  
  
A playful little nudge is sent into his ribs ( though even when holding back, her strength alone was enough to get a slight 'oof' out of him ). Both rise to their feet with an eager dog leading them on.  
  
Yes, Riven thinks, Noxus was still capable of redemption, but it did not have to be her, and it did not have to be now. She'd given them her time, her honor, and almost her life...  
  
...which is why,  as her fingers lace together with her husband's, she concludes it suits her just fine to be selfish.


	32. loyalty.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Ionian War AU, Revamped ) Noxus has been sending small numbers of troops to Ionia for what it "claims" is for establishing new connections, but many suspect their true intentions are to launch a war for its land. All the while, Yasuo, the Haeju Sword School's star pupil, is torn between preparing for that reality and getting ready to say goodbye to a lover who serves the enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so, i did like...one drabble on an AU where Yasuo would be the one to find Riven post - war as she's recovering from Coeur Valley, but that was kind of a 'one-off' thing that i never revisited again. instead, i decided to revamp it and explore a 'what if they met as teenagers when the campaign was being prepared and later had to face each other knowing what atrocities both Noxus & Riven has committed? 
> 
> yeah, i'm kind of weak for the 'young lovers in-over-their-heads' trope...
> 
> enjoy ! you already know the drill. ♥

_Tell me who you loyal to._  
 _Do it start with your woman or your man?_  
 _Do it end with your family and friends? -_ LOYALTY, Kendrick Lamar  

* * *

 

Yasuo shouldn't have brought her here.  
  
The Haeju sword school had already expressed their disdain for the sudden surge in Noxian troops. It did not matter how 'diplomatic' & 'polite' the troops may have been, or that the Grand General wanted to try and make Ionia's acquaintance; nothing would ease the Elders' suspicions that Noxus was scheming a full-scale war.  Even Yone - ever the formal one - endorsed this, reminding Yasuo time and time again that the lot of them couldn't be trusted.  
  
' _it's just a matter of time, brother._ ' the voice would quip in the back of his mind. ' _we must prepare for the storm that comes._ '   
  
Yet the voice is drowned out by the sound of their lips meeting in  fleeting kisses, his hand pressed firm to a bare back. It was hard to believe anything the Elders or Yone said when he'd grown captive to those amber irises, or the gentle brush of her fingers as she tucked his tresses behind an ear.   
  
Yasuo shouldn't have brought her here, but who said any of them would know ?  
  
" Your nights are so beautiful here. " Riven's gaze dances between the outside view & him a couple of times before she decides on Yasuo. " Noxus is not the cleanest with its factory waste...sometimes, all the smog blocks out the stars when the night should be clear. "  
  
" Yeah? " His free hand will find hers, fingers creating little circles into her skin. " Well, it'd be a sign somethin's bad 'round these parts if we couldn't see all the stars. We always get a clear view. "  
  
" I can imagine. "   
  
" Mhm. " Lips meet again, this time lingering in a longer kiss. Once parted, they are but a breadth away. " But I see it all the time, so it's nice to have a more stunning view right beside me. "  
  
Her breath hitches in her throat as she moves her hand from his ear to the nape of his neck. " Come off it. I am not - "  
  
" I mean it. " Yasuo gives her hand a squeeze, hesitating with his next words. " ...I don't know what I'm gonna do when you leave. "  
  
" Maybe I won't have to. Maybe my company shall stay forever...I could make a case to my commander, and we could all intergrate into the surrounding villages, pick up new trades... "  
  
Though Riven says it all with a sigh, and they both realize how likely that'd be.  
  
" When would you come back? "  
  
" I am not certain. " Eyes dart to look at something - anything - that was not Yasuo for a moment. " ...they are rather obscure with their plans. I suspect I will not find out until we return come month's end. "  
  
A brief pause, before -   
  
" You could hide here with me. "  
  
Riven's gaze snaps right back to meet his, looking as if she was a cornered rabbit ready to fight her captor.   
  
" Yas - "  
  
" The Elders haven't seen your company yet, they don't even know what you look like. You could say you're a new pupil - "  
  
" I am not certain - "  
  
"  - just tell 'em your birth name, it sounds Ionian enough - "  
  
" I don't know if - "  
  
" - if you prove yourself - "  
  
" **No** ,  Yasuo. I cannot. "  
  
He releases a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, though his grip on her hand has grown rather tight.   
  
" Please, believe me when I say that I would want nothing more than to stay by your side. " Pause. She swallows hard, taking a sharp inhale while she brings her hand up to cup his cheek. " ...but you understand better than anybody what we must do for our countries. "   
  
& something violent wells up in his chest. He wants to scream about it ( 'then forget our countries' ), wants to kick, thrash, break* something until the whole school wakes up and he can tell them all to kiss his ass on the way out 'cause he's going back to Noxus with her -   
  
...but, he forces himself to take a deep breath and lean into the touch. They'd known this from the start - was it worth wanting to fight something so far above their heads now?   
  
" Then no more words. " Foreheads meet together as he leans up towards her. " I'll enjoy what I've got while I can. "  
  
There is no reply, but the upward tick in her lips and the pacing of her heartbeat steady against his own is enough to quiet the world around them.


	33. serve.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Goddess of War AU ) in a Runeterra where each nation has its own pantheon of Gods & Goddesses, it is frowned upon to worship those that do not serve your own country, but when Yasuo and his platoon have no Ionian deity to turn to who will serve a violent conflict, he resigns himself to calling out for the Noxian Goddess of War. ( inspired by the God of War series. )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: few quick things:
> 
> 1) this AU isn't "new," strictly speaking, but i'm constantly trying to figure out how i want to write it and it just so happens that after some roleplaying, i've settled for this version. there's a couple of kinks i have to iron out ( like why Riven would aid an Ionian against her own people, of course ), but after going two weeks without writing anything, i just really want to get SOMETHING out and get my wheels turning, you know? i'll probably do at least another drabble on it because....let's just be real, i'm equally weak for any AU where the woman has all the power and the main faithfully serves her no matter the cost. :) 
> 
> 2) you'll probably notice i finally took down the 'agender character' tag, and that's because i'm going back to the drawing board on that. i initially was going to introduce Yasuo as agender, but the more i've been writing, the more it feels like he fell back in line as a cis man ( i also don't want to be writing something without more research as i want my portrayal to not be a caricature to an underrepresented community. ) that being said, i will be mulling over and trying to work in my own idea of demigirl Riven as the chapters go on.
> 
> that should be it, sorry this got long !!! i hope you enjoy, thank you for your patience ♥
> 
> ( p.s., to the cool guy who's been commenting on all my stuff, here's my commissions of what they look like:  
> https://68.media.tumblr.com/8235d04cc5f9702466c8b9dbebe68bfd/tumblr_ounq3jsS3y1uf0dmho2_540.png  
> https://68.media.tumblr.com/d1858af7c468ff2a5742cfcdb15668f6/tumblr_ounq3jsS3y1uf0dmho1_1280.png ( nsfw )

Yasuo almost saw no way out of this.   
  
His army - a small platoon of samurai with him in command - were sent West to deal with a flank. None thought much of the small numbers; with their having felled hundreds before them with twice the size, they felt prepared to eliminate the threat of a counterstrike.  
  
Come time for their fight, however, and he was quick to see just how wrong they were.  
  
The Noxians came by the hundreds. Whether by axe, bow, or blade, they rained down upon Yasuo and his soldiers. Steel tore limbs away. Cut out organs, left them to bleed out...  
  
With few standing and he on bent knees, he'd but one thing left:  
  
" Goddess! "  
  
His cry stills the soldier's advance for a moment. The skies thereafter seem to still, even part & allow for the sun to glimmer through. " If you hear me, O Goddess of War, then I pray you to heed my word! Save my soldiers, and I am yours! "   
  
Yasuo peers up at the sky between bloodied fingers, scrutinizing the Heavens for any sign. It's not long after that his world seems to grow black; no sign of corpses, of advancing Noxians...  
  
When he tries to blink back the darkness, all that is before him is the Goddess herself, white locks flowing from crown to waist as her amber irises regard him.   
  
" You dare to call the Goddess of War when I am not of your own pantheon, warrior?  "  
  
She advances. Despite the fact that he is taller naturally, she hovers above, gaze seeming to study his very soul.   
  
" Goddess, I stand by what I say. " Now, kneeling before her, " I care little that you are not from my own pantheon...only that you may save my men from their fate. "  
  
Pause.  
  
" And you shall be mine in turn, warrior? "  
  
" Yours, my Goddess. Yours until the end. "  
  
" Then rise. "  
  
As Yasuo does so, he is met with honeyed hands cupping either side of his face. The Goddess then leans closer, closer, his eyes fluttering shut as if...  
  
...but such an idea seems silly, for he never feels her lips upon his. Instead, he opens his eyes once more; the Goddess is now before him & towers stories above them all, blade swung in a wide arc. From it, a violent, golden energy surges forth, slicing clean through the opposing army wave by wave until nothing but their bones remained.   
  
Despite the initial awe of her power, he is only occupied with the sight of the one before him & how she seemed to command that he never look away.  
  
The Goddess turns her head back to spare him one last, brief look.  
  
" Do well to remember this day, warrior. Your soul now belongs to me. "

  
Her departure does nothing to quell the burning that crept along his chest.


	34. sympathy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) in a perfect world, Yasuo would've been alone in the hut where he could mull over his next plan of attack. instead, he gets caught out with his enemy and can't decide if he loathes her company, or wants more of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ' Jasmine, what about the Goddess of War verse? :( ' well dear readers, my brain does what it wants and today it said 'make them kiss while it's raining' so, you know...i did.
> 
> anyway, nothing spectacular to note. this is just me doing more worldbuilding for the 'main' verse if i'm going off of the 'Riven-didn't-kill-his-elder-but-he-doesn't-totally-know-that-yet' theory. this drabble is probably assuming that there's been some time since the initial fights to them having been forced to cooperate in enough situations to where Yasuo just has to work out his internal angst(TM). 
> 
> enjoy! i like the kudos, i like the comments. stay tuned as always ♥

" Looks like we're not goin' anywhere. "  
  
Rainfall pit-pat-patters on the rooftop in a heavy, steady flow, puddles accumulating wherever divets in the dirt allowed them.  It would have made for a serene setting had Yasuo not been stuck in such a small space with the person he's been told has offed Elder Hasai.  
  
Now would've been the time to confront his doubts. Instead -  
  
" I am doubtful that we are. " Riven muses, gaze fixed to the window. Her chin is settled on her knees as she hugs them close. " And it has almost been an hour, too... "  
  
" Yeah. "  
  
& in that past hour, the pair went from traveling together ( for convenience's sake, of course ) to getting caught out, both rushing towards the first abandoned hut they could find. It was only luck this one was so near - otherwise, he imagines they'd both have gotten soaked right down to the bone.   
  
Still. Enough rain clipped the pair; near the fire hangs both his scarf and her cloak, rendering him shirtless and - admittedly - cold. Combined with the lack of conversation, and...  
  
" So... "  
  
The single word does little more than get Riven to stare at him with a cocked brow. Maybe he should've thought this out more.  
  
" So? "  
  
" I, uh... " Yasuo chews on the inside for his cheek for a second before staring out the window. " ...kind of reminds me of the time I got caught out with Yone. "  
  
" Does it? " A quick glance at her again, and the brow is no longer raised; instead, she scoots towards him a little more, head turning back to the window. " What happened? "  
  
" It was stupid. " Just the thought of it puts a grin on his face as he leans his head back. " I was only...nine, maybe ten...I was just startin' to learn the technique proper, so naturally I got a big ol' ego about it and got on the whole school's nerves.   
  
" Well, one day it gets so bad the elders say ' Yasuo, your mastery is great, but you lack discipline. Go take a walk through the Lost Path, and don't come back until you can learn some!"   
  
The last part is recited in his best crotchety old-man voice, the likes of which get a little chuckle from his company.   
  
 "And I got lost, alright.  " His hand covers his eyes as he shakes his head, grin still present. " I got so lost, they had to send Yone to find me...but by the time he comes, it starts raining.   
  
" We end up bookin' it to the nearest cave - thank the spirits nothin' was there - and hideout. He asks me what happened, but I don't tell him I was lost until he pries it outta me. He ended up givin' me a lecture about how you're not 'really' lost...it's just a new turn down the road yer supposed to go down. "   
  
Yasuo removes his hand, opting to sweep back short locks as she sighs. The grin fades into a slight frown. " ...but I don't know if he was right about that. "  
  
" Your brother is...not with you any more, I assume? "  
  
" No. " & their fight starts playing out in his mind, the likes of which make his chest grow tight. " ...no, he's not. "   
  
Warmth begins to flood his senses. He finds Riven's hand atop his own, fingers curling beneath his palm as she gives it a squeeze.  
  
" I do not have any siblings, but I know what it is like to lose those you love so...unexpectedly. "  
  
Silence. He thinks to jerk his hand away, to tell her she doesn't because she probably didn't have to **kill** her kin with her own hands over a mistake he was framed for, hell ! It was quite possibly her fault in the first place - she killed the elder and was just claiming not to remember!   
  
Yasuo whips his head, retaliation prepared when the look she gave him robs him of his thoughts.   
  
Here she was - a Noxian  - with a burning look in her eyes, lips curled into a soft frown as her brows begin to knit. Whether or not she could truly understand didn't matter when she had told him in gesture that she heard* him, that she cared.  
  
He lifts his free hand to tuck some of her tresses behind her ear, fingers curling to cup her cheek & jaw before leaning in.   
  
Later, when Yasuo had the know-all to think about this, he'd try to blame anything else. He'd blame the ambience of the rain. He'd blame the warmth of the fire lulling him. Most of all, he'd blame her for how she looked with the light illuminating honeyed skin, blame how those lips ( as if on instinct ) part just to show him how soft they were...  
  
...for now, their foreheads meet, noses bump against each other, and lips press together in a kiss before they part by the barest centimeter.  
  
" Was this a part of your story? " Riven's quip would have been more witting had he not heard her breath quicken.   
  
" Not that one.  " Yasuo's lips twitch into a faint smirk. " But this can be a new one if 'ya want. "  
  
Pause. She swallows hard, though her fingers will curl along the nape of his neck and keep him close.   
  
" ...do it again. "  
  
Their lips meet with more ease than the first time. 


	35. storm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern / Fake Dating AU ) in which the truth comes out and both must weather the storm together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: another long drabble ( am i even trying to keep them under 500? no, i definitely am not ), but i wanted to practice a more difficult situation. i imagine Yasuo and Riven don't really argue, if only because their smiliarities + Yasuo's dislike in starting arguments turn most 'quarrels' into basic human disagreements...but, everybody will have their fights and while rare, i was trying to come up with how i see them getting into one. this is the result - something i really had fun with even though i tend not to like writing these out a whole lot.
> 
> anyway, enjoy! i hope my practice was fun for y'all. kudos and comments are fuel to the machine. stay tuned, i may follow up with like a 'part 2' because this doesn't feel complete and i was on a roll with it. ♥

 You plan on tellin' me what your problem is? "  
  
Despite the doorway only illuminating the entryway, Yasuo has lived here long enough to know what sat where. To the right by the wall was a shelf with its collection of bills; above, two hangers, both full with scarves & sweaters. Opposite that was the back of his couch, the likes of which caught a sliver of moonlight. To visualize Riven ( whose lower half was the only lit part of her ) with her back turn, arms folded and heels dangling in her hand ends up being easier than he'd like it to.  
  
So much for their dance.  
  
" No. " Her tone is clipped; dry. To the unassuming listener, it sounded like nothing more than her trying to end a conversation, but he knows better. Lighting has to strike before the thunder claps.  
  
" No? " Knitting his brows now, "  So what, you're just gonna stand here and be angry without sayin' anything ?"  
  
" Yes. "  
  
Yasuo takes a sharp inhale before setting his coat over the sofa's back.  
  
" I'm not gonna let you spend the night if you start this. "  
  
" Then don't talk to me and go to bed. I will be gone in the morning. "  
  
" Riven - "  
  
" No. "  
  
" I wanna talk - "  
  
" And I don't. "  
  
His jaw clenches, voice kept even the best he could manage as he takes a step closer.  
  
" I'm not lookin' to start shit, but you got me this close to - "  
  
" To _what,_ Yas? " He hears her turn and come close enough so that he catches the scowl lining her lips. " Are you going to kick me out? Make me walk home? "  
  
" I wouldn't - "  
  
" Of course you wouldn't ! " Her voice breaks, now loud enough to resonate against the otherwise silent house. " I can sit here until I am red in the face and no matter how goddamn angry _I_ get, you wouldn't even let me sleep in your sofa! You'd tell me I can have your bed, you'd tell me 'baby, it's okay I'm not mad' but guess what, I am ! "  
  
Yasuo swears his ears ring once silence befalls them, but he still steps closer again. When he takes a deep breath this time, the pent-up frustration goes along with it.  
  
" ...Amara...what is this about? "  
  
" You want to know what this is about? Fine. "   
  
Riven emerges fully from the shadows. She throws her heels down on the ground before clenching her fists up, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed to slits as she nears. Once they're face-to-face - once he can feel her breath tickling his neck - he meets her glare and waits.  
  
Then:   
  
" This is about the date, Arashi. It's about how we keep going on them, and we say it's for 'practice', and so is the kissing, and the fucking... "

  
He parts his lips, but she raises her hand to his face.  
  
" No, don't talk. I'm not finished. " Lowering her hand, " You hold me like you think I'm the only goddamn girl in the world and tell me I'm so beautiful, but it doesn't mean anything, does it? We're still doing this because I'm stupid and I asked you to fake **one** kiss in front of my friend and now... "  
  
Like a balloon pricked with a pin, all the air seems to leave her. She deflates. Shrinks, even, turning on her heel so that her back faces him once more as she folds up her arms.   
  
" ...I... let myself fall for you again, but..it doesn't mean anything, does it? "  
  
 _It doesn't mean anything_. The words fall over Yasuo and pierce him right to the core, chest growing tight and hairs raised on end. Without so much as another thought, he puts his hands on her shoulders  & turns her.   
  
Tears have welled up in the corners of her eyes, irises glimmering bright as she worries her bottom lip hard in her teeth. It was all he could do to keep his own at bay.  
  
" Amara... " No response. " Look at me. For just one second, please. "  
  
She does. He moves his hands to cup her cheeks.  
  
" The dates, the kissing, the sex...what I said about how much I love hearing that goofy laugh, that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever known...I wasn't pretending. _None_ of that was pretending. "  
  
She sniffs, pressing a finger under her eye to try and keep it in.   
  
" When you said it was just to prove a point to your friend, I didn't wanna go this far. I just wanted it to end at the kiss 'cause I was scared we'd get here, and I'd tell you that I love you and want you in my life again, but that you wouldn't feel the same... "  
  
Another stretch of silence fills the air, though the tension leaves as the conversation seems to take a deep breath. All of Riven's efforts to 'keep it in' fail her as her first tear streams down.  
  
" ...I did not...Ididn't think youwould..." Now, half-laughing & half-sobbing, " ...we broke upso long ago...I have lostyou once...I don't...Ican't... "  
  
" And you won't lose me again.  I'm not goin' back to Japan. Nobody's makin' me move..." Pause. Eyes close as he presses his forehead to hers. " I'm right where I wanna be, Riven. With you. "  
  
She throws her arms around him, burying herself into his neck. It was all he could do to return the gesture, sinking to his knees with her as she began to shake in his hold.   
  
Whatever it took, he'd weather the storm with her and find the eye of it together. 


	36. own.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Goddess of War AU ) Yasuo has to delay his trip to the Goddess of War's temple due to work, but the gods don't operate on human time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: the extended weekend has turned my brain to mush, so i've just been grinding in Stardew Valley and watching a lot of Youtube. took me a bit to figure out what to do next, but it turns out the days where i don't know what to write help me decide more 'logical' process, and naturally, i realize that i need to put more meat on this AU before i really get the fun rolling. only thing i'd say here is i'm modeling each region in Valoran off of real-world appropriates ( i.e. Yasuo's location is based on the late Tokugawa era + the beginnings of the Imperial Army, Noxus and Riven are loosely inspired off of ancient Rome, etc. ) and while not accurate on a 1:1 ratio, i at least did what i could to research the basic structure for it.
> 
> at any rate, enjoy ! ♥♥ you know the drill so i'll smell 'ya later !

I ask him to look me in the eye when I come - _home_.   
Why do you deny yourself heaven?  
Why do you consider yourself undeserving? - Warsan Shire

* * *

 

She haunts him in every dream. Ten minutes or ten hours of sleep, it doesn't matter; whenever Yasuo closes his eyes just long enough to lull into a slumber, she lurks, her crown of ivory tresses spilling free to her waist while the ends of her dress billow behind her.  Sometimes, she would speak ( ' _where are you, my warrior_?' ) but most often, she would not, instead opting for silence as she beckoned to him with gaze alone.   
  
He ignores all this when he wakes.  
  
They're just dreams, after all, and the Goddess was as fierce as she was beautiful. At best, he chalks it up to a physical attraction, a fleeting vision of what he desires but could never have.   
  
It's not long before he finds out otherwise.  
  
" Report, Inoue. "   
  
The room is filled with two teams of men, each one headed by two captains who sat opposite of Yasuo. At the present, they would both alternate with leading, checking in on their soldiers for updates.   
  
" Nothin' in the ninth ward. Been quiet after that attack. "  
  
His response is met with a curt nod before the conversation is passed along. This gives him some time to entertain wandering thoughts, gaze wandering so that he might find something more interesting to study than the slack-jaw faces of his superiors...  
  
...then, a flash of red.  
  
'  what in spirit's name? '  
  
His brow furrows. He looks away, at first, but the once (in)conspicuous flash soon becomes a full-bodied figure lurking in the corner.   
  
" ...goddess? "  
  
" What was that, Inoue? "  
  
Yasuo's eyes dart between her and his captain.  
  
" Nothing. Thought I saw somethin'. "  
  
" If you say so. Be mindful not to interrupt next time. "  
  
But she had no plans to let him sit easy.  With a wave of her hand, she turns the other men into marionettes; one captain clears his throat, rises, and announces they are all dismissed for a brief break.  Soon, the room empties, and Yasuo is left awake with the very Goddess that once contended with seeing him in slumber.  
  
" Goddess, you're - "  
  
" Rise. "  
  
Her tone - even, low, & rather soft - beguiles the urgency of her command. It's all he can do to comply, rising prompt to his feet.  
  
" You have not paid me visit yet. "She steps closer, hair swaying with each step until she was but a few inches from him. " Have you not heeded my call? "  
  
" Forgive me. " Wetting his lips, Yasuo searches for the best way to phrase his next words. " You told me to come in a week's time, but I'm afraid I've been kept busy with my captains. They want me to - "  
  
" Your captains are secondary, warrior. "  
  
Pause. Her hand rests on his chest. Its warmth is enough to penetrate armor and cloth alike, heating the skin beneath and sending a shudder down his spine.   
  
" You are my champion now. When I call for you, you heed me.  When I've a fight, you are to head it. I have given you my protection, and I will continue to give it... "  
  
" ! "   
  
Yasuo's breath catches in his throat. Something ( was it her hand? a dagger? ) punctures straight through to his chest, and what _feels_ like tendrils seem to constrict around his heart...  
  
" ...but you must prove you are worth my time. "  
  
Despite every nerve protesting, he takes a quick glance down and finds  in her palm a dim, red light shaped like a human heart. The light extends into string-like projections that lead away from her hand and right to -   
  
" When you pledged loyalty to me, warrior, you have given me your everything. I have your mind... "  
  
Her free hand cups the underside of his chin, then sneaks to rest on the nape of his neck.   
  
" Your body... "  
  
His breath quickens as she draws nearer still. He wonders if he should be panicked, or lean in to match her...  
  
" Your heart... "  
  
Her hand constricts around the shape in her palm, robbing him of a moment's worth of air. Perhaps that was for the better, too, for when she thrusts her palm back into his chest, he's reeling back on his heels & near-gasping for air again.  
  
" Do you understand what I mean now? "  
  
A few more coughs before Yasuo can respond.  
  
" ...how soon will you have me? "  
  
" You've another week to be by my temple. "  
  
He meets her gaze proper. Amber irises burn with pride, with anger - yet for him, there seemed to hide a certain softness that almost made her threat empty.  
  
" Anything more, my Goddess? "  
  
" When you come, warrior. "  
  
Footsteps press against the boards, making the wood groan as the soldiers neared the room, and it's that split second where he turns his head to see their silhouettes that he will find her figure absent from the room.   
  
For the rest of the meeting, Yasuo's chest retains a dull ache that reminds him of what he's bound to.


	37. breath.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern AU / Fake Dating AU + Teenagers ) prompt: your girl calls you up just to be quiet on the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: doing more of the Fake Dating AU thing i've got going because i've alluded to their 'history' in previous drabbles and, after having thought up said history, decided to show it off a bit. while i don't wanna spell everything out, i'm also really proud to show off more of Riven's neurodivergency ( *what* she has is up to you! ) and incorporate that in with this prompt that i saw floating around on the hellsite i sometimes call Tumblr.
> 
> oh, and 90's aesthetic. 
> 
> enjoy ! ♥ i like the usual, and stay tuned as always.

Riven tried to make peace with the world and how much - much _too_ much - it was for her.  
  
She tried to make peace with how the clamoring gossip of students would reach her ears and turn to nails on the chalkboard. She tried to accept how floruecent lights in long hallways would sting like a second sun, or how the teachers lectured  & she remembered so little ( but they said she just wasn't 'paying attention' )...  
  
She tried, tried, tried, each step forward only serving to sink her as she found more moving sand.  
  
_Ring, ring..._  
  
It doesn't have to make sense here, though. She doesn't have to 'understand' anything; already, the phone's monotonous dial tone pushes away every noise too loud, every sight too bright - all of it, gone. It can just be her, warm in bed with the phone's curve pressed to ear and mouth as she waits.  
  
_Ring, ring..._  
  
" Hello? "  
  
" Evening, Mrs. Inoue. " She'd practiced the lines enough times in Japanese to mouth each syllable without sounding too foreign. " May I speak to your son? "  
  
" Yes, yes...Arashi! "  
  
Shuffling fills her ear for a moment.  
  
" ...what? No, mom please - mom! Yes, it's **that** girl...just hand me the phone...hello? "  
  
" Hey. "  
  
" Hey yourself. "  
  
His voice grows soft in her ear, a welcome sound to Riven after her 'filter' was clogged up from school.  
  
" Are you busy? "  
  
"  Am I ever too busy for you? "  
  
Her free hand moves from the pillow to her chest. She couldn't stop the smile growing from cheek-to-cheek.  
  
" It's too early for you to be a sap, Yas. "  
  
" Nah. Just gimme a second. " More shifting; after a minute, it soon becomes rustling, then stillness. " Okay. Had to go upstairs...don't need eavsedroppin'. "  
  
" I thought your mother was not as fluent in English? "  
  
" Yeah, but I don't need Yone sayin' anything. He already gets on me enough for me skippin' classes to see you. "  
  
" I would say he has a point, but I do like when you come to see me. "  
  
A chuckle resonates through the receiver. Riven closes her eyes and tries to imagine what Yasuo might be doing, if he's trying to change into his pajamas while the phone is crooked in his shoulder, or if he was just as idle as she...  
  
" Well, shit, you caught me. Now I got a hard choice to make...stayin' in school, or seein' my girlfriend... "  
  
And he makes a long 'hmm' sound, eliciting from her a giggle as she rolls over on her back. Her fingers then find their way into the phone cord, each digit tangling up in the curling wire.  
  
" As long as you're getting good grades, mister. "  
  
" Alright, _mom._ "  Both break out into a light laughter. " Thanks for the reminder. "  
  
" You're welcome. "  
  
They lapse into silence. Only the sound of his breathing fills her senses, each one even, steady breaths that create in her mind's eye a calming aura of blues and whites. It'd be some time (a few minutes, but it had felt like hours ) before the little reverie is broken.  
  
" You okay? "  
  
" I am fine. I just...okay, maybe this is weird but...listening to you breathe is very calming. "  
  
" Oh? Here, what if I just - "  
  
Yasuo makes it a point to breathe louder. The forced effort makes each one come out more like he's sniffling, enough so for Riven to laugh again.  
  
" No, no! Not like that, you ruined it. "  
  
" What? You said it was calming ! I'm just doin' this for you. "  
  
" Idiot. "  
  
Now it's his turn to laugh. " But I'm your idiot, right? "  
  
" Of course. "  
  
Pause.  
  
" I miss you, Amara. "  
  
" Come by tomorrow? "  
  
" Can't, but maybe this weekend. Maybe we can sneak 'ya out again, though. "  
  
" I would like that. "  
  
Again, a pause. This time, Yasuo's breath comes out a bit shaky, before -  
  
" I love you. "  
  
Hearing those words turns the aura a deep red, one that envelops Riven in a strange warmth she could never get over no matter how often he said those words...  
  
" I love you more. "  
  
Neither hurry to fill the silence after that.


	38. beauty.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse. ) Yasuo doesn't mind being proven wrong about a damn thing when Riven's the one providing lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so........i usually try to hold updates for the weekend, but i...i couldn't resist. this idea has been stuck in my head since Sunday and it had to come out right after i wrote that other chapter. i will just take any chance to show the softer side of Riven and having Yasuo be an absolute heterosexual about it.
> 
> enjoy ! ♥ and a belated thank you for the spur of kudos/hits i got, it's a new record for just a few days and it's always my joy to do this when i see other people having fun with me !

Yasuo likes to think he knows what's beautiful.   
  
He knows there's beauty in different parts of nature, be it the opalescent pinks hat flood the sky during sunsets, or the winding turns in a river after the last of winter's touch has left it. He knows there's beauty in people, too - a smile, a laugh, a shared moment with no words - all things that served to make even his troubled times more tolerable.   
  
Yes, Yasuo _thinks_ \- but he can concede to not really knowing until now.  
  
She wears nothing but her dress, pauldron & blade & knapsack left off at the hut they harbored for the time thing. Ivory tresses, just washed, are curled up tigther, hair now hovering just around her sides as it frames her visage. In her arms, a bundle of fresh-cut sunflowers, each one just limp enough to conform to her hold. If that alone couldn't sell him, then the single flower she had tucked behind an ear would, as would the way her lips curl into a smile as she counted out her purchase.  
  
And that -  the single instance of her in this moment - is enough for him to rise quick to his feet, one hand finding Riven's side as he nears.  
  
" Hm? "She blinks a few times as she takes her attention off the sunflowers. The smile is unchanged. " Did you need - "  
  
Whatever she wanted to say is cut off by his lips meeting hers, hand now resting on the small of her back to pull her close. Interruption aside, she falls in stride; she melts into the touch, body pressing closer to his as the kiss deepens.  
  
Once they part, Yasuo tucks a few stray tresses behind her ear, gaze steady on that beautiful woman.   
  
" You seem in a good mood today. " Riven cants her head just slightly to the right as she studies him. " You did not even ask me where I got these...for all you know, I could have blown all our coin on them. "  
  
" Wouldn't surprise me. "His thumb strokes her cheek. " If you had it your way, you'd spend everything we got on plants 'n pets. "  
  
" And you would blow it on sake and books, so I think my purchase was put to better use. "  
  
Her smile threatens to turn into a smirk. He thinks about firing back, but finds no room for argument, not when the yellows of the petals seem to brighten her already warm complexion.  
  
In the end, Yasuo settles for another kiss, one eagerly returned as muted giggles escape her.  
  
He'd make due being proved wrong by her a second time.


	39. detail.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern AU ) Riven always notes the small things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: going back to a bit of a longer drabble to build more on Riven's neurodivergency. she's good at going over the details with a fine-toothed comb, and uses those little details to remember things about the man she loves. i also realize i haven't written a smuttier drabble for a minute ( Possess was like...Smut Lite ), and while all that fucking has been good and fine, i wanted to practice some dirty talk. it's probably not my best ( i was trying to think of the best way to say 'you can give me a blow job/let's fuck' ), but it's a good exercise for me, and it helps me continue to explore their dynamic in ways i'm still discovering.
> 
> p.s. i'm only about 15% sorry for Riven's horrible pun. 
> 
> enjoy ! ♥

It was the small things that Riven loves the most about him.   
  
She would take to heart all the small things: how he'd lay his camera on the table ( towards the upper left corner of the coffee table with the laptop nearby ), what the bathroom looked like after his morning 'rush' ( the toothpaste lid is always open when he left ), when an 'episode' hit before even he quite knew it ( he'd cut back on his hours, avoid outside, be more chaste when they kissed... )  
  
Even now, she would break the moment down to finest detail. Instead of watching the movie, she focuses on the last rays of right peeking through the blinds and how it'd illuminate the sun room. Whatever witting thing the protagonist could say is cast aside in favor of listening to his breathing, hand on his chest as she tries to count each full tha-thump.   
  
A minute passes where the crescendo in the movie's music fades. The quiet allows enough time for Riven to hatch a little 'scheme', the likes of which guide her hand in slow circles from chest to abdomen.  
  
" Havin' fun there? "  
  
She feels the shift as Yasuo turns his neck, certain his gaze now rests on her.   
  
" Maybe. "  
  
She nestles back into his neck, lips pressing a quick kiss to the skin while her hand now glides down to his waist.   
  
" You're not watchin', are you. "  
  
Riven's lips twitch into a smirk as she kisses his neck again. She'd let her hand cup his groin and gently press down...  
  
" Nope. "  
  
His even breathing 'snags' as his hand snakes around her waist.  
  
" And now you're gonna distract me. "   
  
Eager, she sneaks back up to the waistband, wrist pushing down on the material. Fingers then curl around the base of his cock,  hand moving along the length until it grew hard.   
  
" I can stop if you like. "  
  
Kiss, kiss, kiss. Her thumb sweeps over the head; Yasuo does well to keep his composure, though the little roll of his hips into her hand is enough for her own breath to hitch.   
  
" You could, but... "  
  
His hand wraps over hers. She pulls back, only to find her lips captured in a deep kiss. When they part -   
  
 "...now you got a problem on your hands. "  
  
" I suppose I do... "  
  
Her thumb sweeps the head again, this time smearing bits of precome that leaked from the slit. His breath - already uneven, now - turns to a subdued groan, and his brow twitches as he tries to keep said composure.   
  
Riven makes sure to add another nail to the coffin as she feigns a pout.  
  
" How ever do I fix it? It seems I've made a _big_ mistake. "  
  
Yasuo seems undecided on another groan, or snorting from how bad her little pun was; in the end, he settles for returning the favor, lips now leaving kisses on her jaw before he finds her ear:  
  
" I'm not sure, now that I think about it... " Teeth nip at her lobe. It's all she can do not to shudder in kind. " Maybe you can come in front and get on your knees..."   
  
Another nip. Between the rasp of his voice & hot breath against her skin, she was taken by surprise when his hand had found her breast, thumb brushing over a now pert nipple.  
  
" ...take me in your mouth nice 'n slow... "  
  
He gives her breast a gentle squeeze.  
  
" ...so I can watch you swallow... "  
  
Mused brown locks swim in her vision before lips meet again. They part by the barest centimeter before Riven fires back:  
  
" Or...you could lay me down, spread me...press against me until you're in me... "  
  
The fabric of Riven's cami gets tugged down until her breasts begin to spill out, calloused hand now taking them in full.  Her thoughts then go blank; her hand forgets what to do, merely holding her husband's shaft while he returned to her ear with hot, heavy kisses.  
  
" I'll start slow and stay that way until you beg for more. " Kiss, kiss. " Wait until you're rubbin' yourself while you wait for me to finish in you...but, you have to be good for me if that's what you want. "  
  
Yasuo pulls back just enough for their foreheads to meet, lips curled into a faint smirk. Even when Riven had the control, he'd take it right back, leaving her now on the defensive as her own breath quickens at every little  detail...  
  
" Sound good? "  
  
She says nothing, arms now flying around him as she tugs him down into the sofa.


	40. fear.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern / Fake Dating AU ) Irelia has known Yasuo for too long to entertain his indecision, but it's not up to her to get him to act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: been wanting to work on more side characters who help color their lives. i want to try and bring them in so they don't feel like they don't exist just as pieces to move these two forward ( in whatever verse ), but as their own agents who also reveal more about our lovely little protagonists. also, more ideas i've had in the works; Yasuo has always had depression in my mind, but i've been rethinking parts of my approach to his character when this came up, something i felt fit given the direction i want to push. 
> 
> other then that, i won't keep you with my rambles but i am open to answering more questions about anything you might want to know that you feel isn't being addressed or want to know more about the behind-the-scenes development for. 
> 
> enjoy ! ♥

" You look like you've had a good night. "  
  
Fingers tremble with each flick of the cigarette, smoke wafting up from the tip. No immediate response is provided; instead, Yasuo fills the silence via another drag, exhaling smoke from the side of his mouth once he's satisfied. Another shaky flick of the cigarette happens before he replies.  
  
" Amazing. "  
  
" So amazing, you're shaking ?"  
  
" Absolutely. "  
  
He lifts the cigarette to his lips again. Inhale. Exhale. Flick, flick.  
  
" Yasuo, how long have I known you ? "  
  
" Years, Irelia. "  
  
" And you think that after all those years, I can't tell the difference between 'amazing' and a 'manic swing'? "  
  
" _Hypo_ manic. " He corrects, lips threatening a smirk.  
  
" My point is taken. "  
  
She sighs. Her shoulder slumps as her breath leaves her. As she parts her lips, however -  
  
" It's just...it's hard to describe. "  
  
" Please. It was her, wasn't it? What'd she do this time? " & she twirls her wrist a few times as if conjuring up her explanation. " Did the wind blow her hair and make her look like some sort of...oh, I don't know, an angel? "  
  
At this, Yasuo laughs, then shakes his head while working on another drag. Another stretch of silence will settle between them as he thinks back to his morning.  
  
" I spent the night at her place - "  
  
" Here we go. " She murmurs under her breath, though it was hard to deny _some_ amusement with how chipper her companion is.  
  
" - and y'know, the usual...but this morning was just... "  
  
He clenches a fist and puts it near his mouth as if trying to stop a sneeze. Instead, he ends up in another fit of laughter, rocking back on his heels for the moment while shaking his head.  
  
" ...just look at her,  and all I can think 'this is it,' but she always does somethin' new that blows me away. "  
  
Pause. He sneaks a glance at Irelia.  
  
" ...she don't even gotta do anything wild...not even a kiss, a touch, the noises she makes...it was just one look, Irelia. One. And I - "   
  
" You love her. "  
  
Yasuo is about to bring his cigarette back to his lips when the announcement halts him.  
  
" That's it, isn't it? It hasn't changed since we were younger...I've never seen anybody put a light in your eyes the way she does, yet you're too caught up in insisting that it's not like it was before. "  
  
He turns to Irelia. The glimmer in his eyes seems to have died off, lips now pursed into a flat line.  
  
" When are you going to admit it? "  
  
He doesn't answer for a couple of minutes. The tremor in his hand grows as he tries to keep the cigarette at chest level.  
  
" You caught me. " Now, raising an arm up before it falls back to his side with a dull 'thud' against his leg. " Yeah, I love her. I don't think I ever stopped* loving her. She looks at me once and I just get so...it makes me wanna run across the goddamn world if it means she'll do it again, but I also get scared she'll find someone better...like if I just go and tell her 'I love you, marry me' right fuckin' now, she'll bail 'cause she remembered her ex is just a bipolar nutcase. "  
  
Irelia says nothing. Yasuo raises his arm again, this time almost making a resonating 'slap' against his leg.  
  
" See? I wouldn't date me either knowin' that. "  
  
Her fingers curl around her purse as she lifts it towards her.  
  
" It's not up to me to face that fear, is it? "  
  
She starts to walk past.  
  
" Come on. I didn't come to meet you at your work just to chit-chat. "  
  
The cigarette is tossed to the ground and extinguished under his foot before he follows. For now, Yasuo would bury her words and insist it was just because he wanted to get 'work' done.


	41. cold.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) The duo try to figure out their winter plans, but it's hard to concentrate when Riven's half-cold and half-mesmerized by her company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this is just a more back-to-form classic drabble to keep updates active. i'm feeling spicy and might do a part two to this ( you know, the hotel part :eyes: ) if it's warranted. 
> 
> in other news, i thought i'd just post a quick warning here: my residency is coming up in two weeks, which kicks off my semester. my college can be done from home, but i am going for my MFA so i will be doing 3x the writing than i'm used to or have done since undergrad! while my updates here are usually sporadic ( i can do one every week or one every month ), i try to aim for some level of balance - this balance might be a bit disrupted because i might want more breaks from writing. 
> 
> HOWEVER,
> 
> the league community seems to be slowing up on tumblr & i'm not finding many biting fish elsewhere, so this is my main fandom outlet. i don't expect a major drop in activity, but don't be surprised if i seem to move to 2x a month or even 1x a month all things considered. 
> 
> that's it for now! i'll put this update again when the residency is a few days away. for now, just enjoy, and thank you for your continued support ! ♥

" Autumn is here. "  
  
Winds rustle the trees, creating a kaleidoscope of warm colors sifting on branches as Riven observes from her perch. With warm weather stretching well into later months, she grew convinced that maybe the lands would be blessed with a mild winter.  
  
" About time. "  The voice - once floating behind her - now comes into earshot as her companion takes her side. " Won't be here for long, though.  Gonna be an early winter. "  
  
" That is what I fear. "   
  
Another breeze ripples through the lands, stirring Riven's tattered cloak. She clasps her hands and rubs them together.  "It will make travel...difficult, as it always does. "  
  
" We should find a place to camp out with shelter. Abandoned villages are the easiest. " Pause. " Could also move down south...coast is always warmer. "  
  
She says nothing, though will spare a sidelong glance when Yasuo turns to face her ( which she writes off as his thinking through their plan ). It's only when the next breeze causes her to shudder & his subsequent nearing does she understand he had something else on the mind.  
  
" What? " She mirrors his gesture, hands still clasped. A smile threatens to crack her features. " Is there something on me? "  
  
" You look cold. "  
  
" I am - "  
  
Warmth pools from knuckles to arms as his hands cover hers, mouth parted in mid-sentence ( what is it she wanted to say? )   
  
" ...fine. "   
  
" I'm sure there's an inn or somethin' hidin' down in the village. Maybe we should stay in for a couple nights. "  
  
His thumbs work from between her knuckles on down to her wrist, soon repeating a slow stroke. Riven thinks to ask more about the logistics ( was there enough coin? would it waste what few days of longer days they had ? ), but nothing comes forth. She instead finds herself drawn to his eyes & how they stay steady on her hands, lips pursed into flat line in concentration.  When another breeze stirs his short locks about, he seems unphased as he transitions into using his whole hand to massage hers.  
  
Was it minutes, or hours that passed since she'd grown entranced?  It's something she can't decide on, not even when Yasuo stops and rests his hands back over hers.    
  
" Better ? "  
  
She blinks a few times when hazel meets amber. This time, it's impossible to fight the faint, upward curl of her lips.  
  
" Yes. "  
  
Just like that, the warmth recedes ( though is replaced briefly by his tucking some of her strands behind her ear. )   
  
"  Good. Let's go. "  
  
They begin their trek down the winding steps, but not before Riven slides her palm against his & laces their fingers together.  
  
Any biting breezes cease to bother her.


	42. cold part 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) If Riven was still cold from earlier, she wouldn't stay that way for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 'Jasmine, your chapter is almost 1,200 words.'
> 
> yes, because i have no self control and i got the good shit right here, so just have a seat, grab a snack, and try not to read if you're out and about...or you can if you're into that. no judgement here.
> 
>  
> 
> enjoy! ♥ ( i accept kudos hits and comments to keep the roof over my head. )

Riven wonders how long she's been watched for.  
  
For most of the walk - from the trail to the front door of the inn -it's not just the warmth of his hand in hers that permeates, but his gaze. Each stolen glance makes the hairs on her neck salute. Her skin warms from cheeks to collarbones. There's a time ( or five ) where she's left wishing that stare would turn to something more, would turn to a roaming hand, a kiss, something said meant just for her...  
  
She need not wish much more, however. Once the coin is given to the innkeep, they are guided to their room, trading shoes for the customary slippers along the trek.  
  
Between the innkeep's last words ( something about 'needing anything') and the trek into their room turns from a second to a century. Riven's in the room, yes she knows it -  the pale, pleasant blues & oranges are nice and the room's warmth compared to autumn's biting chill makes for good atmosphere, but she's drawn back in by the gaze she knows is on her. Was it resting on _just_ her? Did it wander from neck to curves, drink her in like a man bringing water to his cracked lips? Or...  
  
With a breath caught in her throat, she turns on her heel. It's hard to tell just where Yasuo was staring in the end, for his eyes snap up to meet hers the moment they can.   
  
Silence. A step forward, then two...a calloused palm cups her cheek, draws her head up...mouths meet in one kiss, two, five, then linger until his teeth find her bottom lip and ask for a way in.  
  
Any words shared are fleeting; here, a hushed ' _you've been staring at me all the way here_ ' after their tongues brush together, there, a ' _forgive me_ ' when palm finds breast, a ' _you're all I could think about_ ' after a moan slips past her throat...  
  
Their path from the main room towards the mat is slow. Riven takes one step back, Yasuo follows right after.  Kisses are stolen, again, again, teeth find the pulsepoint on her neck - clothes fall here, there, until nothing is left but two bodies pressed together in their dance.   
  
It take some getting used to, the mat. On hands and knees, the little bumps of threaded bamboo remind her it's not the best position ( she thinks about switching to her back ), but it becomes a useless thought once two fingers brush over her entrance.  
  
" Oh... "  
  
She jerks into the touch. They do it again, up and down until she's pressing back into the hand, until she's slick from the touch...when it decides to give, both slip in with ease.   
  
In, out, in... this time they linger there and spread apart to stretch her. A third one is added once she turns from coherent to whispered pleas, hips rocking back to match the rhythm. In kind, her own hand, shaking, tries to find his free one; when successful, she curls her fingers into his and guides it along her body until she leads him to her breast.   
  
A fourth digit almost spells undoing. Along with a firm squeeze to said breast, she is now rocking with less control. Each roll of the hips back is jerky; uneven - the pleas rise, higher, higher, until she's not sure what she's asking other than 'more, please, in me.'  
  
Then, nothing.  
  
No stretching, no curling - just emptiness.   
  
" Yas... "  
  
A new plea spills from Riven. She finds the absence of him unbearable just as if he'd stolen from her a shared blanket in the coldest hour of the night. When nothing replaces it right away, she readies herself to take action in her own hands, fingers threatening to unfurl from Yasuo's -   
  
Hot breath tickles the nape of her neck, followed by a warm, wet kiss.   
  
" Patience. "  
  
 _Patience_   The word - the way he says it, voice in a low rasp right on her skin  makes her lightheaded. Her breath almost catches in her throat -  
  
" Fuck. "  
  
The curse that goes tumbling from his lips catches her attention just seconds before the head presses in...  
  
" Ohmy God... "  
  
Little by little, she feels him until he's buried to the hilt. She has no choice put to relinquish his hand, now needing both to support her weight while both of his get a grip on her.   
  
" Yasu - "  
  
He threatens to pull out before he gives a sharp roll of his hips.  
  
" Fuck... "  
  
Again, this time harder.  
  
" Yes... "  
  
Again, again, again - soon, the only sound becomes how loud each slap of the skin is, the way she feels fit to burst with each thrust. Ivory tresses spill over the shoulder haphazard, and her eyes roll back.   
  
" Imight - "  
  
Fingers brush her hair back. Riven tenses; she's eager for the tug, for his hand to make her yield...  
  
...something sneaks between her thighs, rubs her clit...  
  
...the rest is history, a split second of disjointed, erratic moans before something like a scream escapes her, body tense and walls clenching hard around him as she trembles. Not long after, he gives one good slam of his hips before stilling, a string of curse words and ( what might be ) her name coming forth.   
  
A moment goes where they don't move; then, Yasuo pulls out. Another moment goes before familiar & pleasant warmth lingers between her legs. Those same fingers that got her so worked up now look to cool her down, working her folds nice and slow until his seed leaks out.   
  
Absence again. She gets on her back with weary limbs, and is joined shortly by his sneaking an arm around her, drawing her near. A peck is placed on her forehead.  
  
" ...you really were thinking abut that all the way, weren't you? "   
  
Riven rests her hand on his chest and nestles in more. Her lips threaten to turn into a smirk.  
  
" More or less. " Yasuo already beat her to the smirking part. " It's a lot harder than you think tryin' to keep your shit down when you've only got one thing on the mind. "  
  
" One reason I think I am glad I don't have... " & her eyes dart down to his 'junk' before looking back up at him. " That. "  
  
" No, but you don't seem to mind it much when I've got it _in_ you. "  
  
" And here, I was just starting to like you... "  
  
He takes her hand and brings it up to his lips, where he places a lingering kiss on the palm. The gesture is enough for her heart to skip a beat.  
  
" Now you are just cheating. "   
  
" My apologies, ma'am. Am I...swaying the vote? "  
  
He does it a few more times, then shifts so their lips can meet.  
  
" I"m afraid you are, very much so. "  
  
" Well, if it works and you end up likin' me more...I think I can live with that. "  
  
Riven had no answer for that, so she would nestle into the crook of his neck once more and decide that him swaying 'the vote' wasn't too bad, not when he at least kept her so warm.


	43. control.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern / Fake Dating AU ) the date was supposed to end at the doorstep, but Yasuo has never been good at killing bad habits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: more of my favorite AU with one of my favorite tropes, the 'i would take you inside and make love to you until the sunrise but i'm trying to be a decent human being and exercise self restraint.' i just also wanted to do a bit of a meditative thing on kissing because it's one of my favorite, most intimate things...and so, here we are. i will say that i don't want to oscillate between just main and this AU - i want things to feel varied and fresh! - but this is just for fun and i chase my muse where it takes me, so i hope you don't mind too much.
> 
> enjoy ! ♥ i'm still here and i like those nice little kudos' and reviews.
> 
> EDIT: ( This is a repost from yesterday! A03 had a bit of an accident and my fic ended up staying on page 3 even though I just updated, so I'm reuploading to push it back to the front! )

" Here we are. "

Aside from the soft clicks of stilettos & the hum of cicadas in the late summer night, the statement is all Yasuo can muster to break the silence of their 'trek.' Sure, it was a short walk; just some steps from the car to the doorstep and they were already bathed in the apartment complex's dim lights, but all their talk during dinner still hums strong in his chest, in his bones.

Did it have to end now, so soon?

" Yes, thank you. " Riven doesn't make any moves to open her door right away. Her hands will instead busy themselves with her keys, fingers prodding the keychain as she spins each key around and around. " And thank you for dinner tonight. I know it was such short notice, but I - "

" It ain't really short notice if I wanna hang out with a close friend, is it? "

Her eyes - once staring off towards the corner of the door - lift to meet his, coral painted lips threatening a smile.

" Is that what you call practice dates, now? Hanging out? "

He shrugs, folding his arms and leaning toward one side so that his shoulder could rest on the siding. A smile is already on his own lips, gaze roaming over her figure as he then nods towards her. " Don't sound as weird as 'practice date.' "

The keys - once jiggling and clinking together - cease. Her hands are now stilled over them. 

" No practice, then. We can call it what it was - a date. '

" Just 'a date'? No 'test' or 'practice' you wanna throw on that? "

A smile blooms on Riven's features as his own turns to a grin.

" Just a date. "

" I'll take it. " Yasuo pushes himself back upright before tucking some stray, ivory tresses behind her ear. " Have a good night. "

" You as well. Drive safe. "

But she doesn't move to open the screen door, instead fidgeting more with the keys. He doesn't move, either; his hand still lingers near her cheek, knuckles pressed gentle into her ear as he admires the red of her lips, her eyes...the dip of her dress and how it hugs her chest, holds her curves...

" Amara. "

She pays him full attention, but he doesn't bask in it long. Already, his other hand is on the curve of her back, palm flat as he draws her closer, closer...

Then, their lips meet. It's a far cry from last time - unlike the haste from their first kiss, this one lingers. He learns the shape of her mouth again, how she parts them a bit wide before the kiss breaks. When each kiss breaks, the faint 'pop' of their pecking resonates, only to be repeated with the tempo of a waltz.

A moment comes when they pull away by mere centimeters. Yasuo's thoughts all reach melting point, swirling, spiraling...he thinks about how he'd like their tongues to meet, for his hand to go lower, lower, to draw from her those breathy little moans as if she was writing him a prayer...

" I should get goin'. " Despite the inner protest, he tempers the flame and pulls back from her. 

" Arashi... "

Her hand tries to find his. He slips out of her grip, turns on his heel, and starts back towards the stairs.

" Get some rest. Call me if you need anythin', k? "

For the rest of that long, long walk back to his car, he tries to replace the burning thoughts of her with the cicada's choir of hums.


	44. present.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern / Fake Dating AU ) Maybe he didn't have the best past, but as Yasuo catches Riven up to speed on he past, he realizes what he has in the present is what keeps him going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A SMALL WARNING for brief mentions of a suicide attempt. i tried to keep it as vague as possible without doing a disservice to serious topics like depression and suicide, but feel it's still worth nothing that if the topic is not something you feel comfortable with or would like to avoid, you're free to skip over this chapter. 
> 
> a more general note, i'm squeezin' in a lil more worldbuilding for this verse. it has by far become my favorite verse ( aside from main ) to play with the dynamic i always imagined them having. i promise i'll try to open up some other verses again to keep my variety going, but i also want to keep things feeling fresh by advancing their characters. i know this is primarily a feel good type of drabble series, but i realize a hundred of just smut or fluff might tire y'all out, so i want to make sure i'm not glossing over some other themes. 
> 
> all said, i hope you enjoy ! your kudos, views, and comments keep me warm during the winter ♥

Yasuo decides to stop by on a whim.   
  
Nothing is going to stop him, of course; 'dating' aside, the friendship was steady, a foundation on which they both stood and supported each other. It was hardly a stretch, then, for him to have her spare key, for him to enter without so much as a knock.  
  
" Hey! " He shouts when there's only her dogs wagging their tails at him from the end of the entryway and no body occupying the counter seat. " You here? "  
  
" Front room! "   
  
After his little 'adventure' past four wriggling, eager bodies, he almost-trips his way into the living room. It's there he finds Riven occupied with some old boxes set out on the glass table, hand filled with an array of photographs as she holds them up towards the light.   
  
" This is new. " He sets his stuff down on the counter, then undoes his tie and loosens up the buttons on his shirt. " You're usually workin' on some plant stuff when I come in. "  
  
" Usually. " Her reply is clipped, though not uninterested. " But you forget that I set my own hours, and it is only part time. "  
  
" Yeah, yeah. "   
  
Yasuo throws himself into the couch with a sigh. One arm rests on the armchair, the other, on the sofa's back, where it'd be in clsoer proximity to her. He need only glance at the photos for but a few moments to understand what they were.  
  
" Anniversary's comin' up, ain't it. "  
  
Pause.   
  
" Five years."   
  
Her thumb rushes over the top one - one of her in standard army uniform with two, grinning soldiers flanking either side of her.  "It does not feel that way. "  
  
The photos are put back in the box as if she might shatter them in her grasp. A stretch of silence follows, one punctuated with anticipation as he watches her worry her bottom lip. Then -  
  
" Maybe one day, I...will not be haunted by it anymore. Maybe I will stop convincing myself I could have done something different... "  
  
Yasuo jerks upright, arms on his legs now as he turns more fully towards her. Riven turns her head towards him in turn, teeth stilled over bottom lip.   
  
" Let me tell 'ya somethin. ' You remember how I told you what happened to Yone? "  
  
" Yes. "  
  
" Well, him dyin' was just a start. I'm lucky I finished school by then 'cause everything after that  was a hot fuckin' mess. "  
  
She shifts, inching closer to him as if straining to hear him speak.  
  
" I'm talkin'...oh, I dunno, one of those sour turnin' points in a hero flick kinda bad. The job I just got in for had to let me go 'cause I kept showin up late, or not a all. I started hittin' the bottles harder...gets so bad that one night, my mom catches me sprawled out on the fuckin' floor with a bottle of jack and some asprin. "   
  
Now her brows furrow as a hand comes to rest on his knee. It's with a sharp intake of breath that he presses on.  
  
" Shit sent me right to the hospital - by the way, they use charcoal to suck up any poison you ingest and the side of my bed looked like a goth party just hit it - "  
  
She chuckles a little, though it's weak in her throat.   
  
"  - I...realized I couldn't stay home when everywhere just reminded me of Yone...so then I came here, but my dumb ass didn't have a thing lined up so I was out in the streets with Irelia tryin' to wire me money. Took a while to get where I am now."   
  
A pause falls over the pair. Yasuo clenches his jaw a bit before taking another breath and resting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
" ...sometimes I still spend too much time wonderin'...what if I went out with him that night? What if I told 'em to stay home 'cause I had a bad feelin'? Maybe he'd still be here. "  
  
Another pause. His hand pushes ivory tresses back over her shoulder.   
  
"All I'm tryin' to say is, it's okay if you still think about it. It's okay if it's still botherin' you. If I learned anything from bein' back home, it's that time won't always fix shit. Some things you'll forget about in a week, some, you'll just take to your grave. "  
  
Their eyes meet. Now seems like a good time for him to dip in, to gently press his lips to her cheek before pulling back with a faint smile.   
  
" ...either way, I don't think you should let it stop you from livin' again.  What you do now is always gonna matter more than what you could've done. "  
  
A slight 'oomph' escapes him when she throws her arms around him in what must be a bear hug.   
  
" Hey, hey... "  
  
" I had no idea. " He's given a bit of a squeeze, but it's one he easily returns. " The drinking, coming here with no shelter...Yasuo... "  
  
If it was possible, Riven's grip is tighter still.   
  
" I have - I have lost too many comrades to war. I have lost my mother. If I lost you..."   
  
They pull back a little. Her hand cups his cheek, thumb sweeping across his skin.   
  
" I am just happy you are still here. "   
  
" You know... "  
  
He gives her another squeeze as he eyes her, smile growing.   
  
" I think I am too. "


	45. solace.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) Riven's solution to possibly being in love with what should be her enemy: think about how much she misses him by likening it to how she sharpens her sword, except insist on denying it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: another back-to-form drabble. i like doing pieces that feel meditative and slower in contrast to all the busy stuff that's going on as i keep developing them, and i realize i rarely give Riven solo time ( which is ironic, considering i've roleplayed her for two and a half years! ) figured i could fix that while continuing to tell the story underneath. nothing much to say beyond that - i'm still mulling over either revisiting an older AU, or adding a new one that i've sat on for a while. i may put it to vote and see what you think!
> 
> enjoy! still need those kudos/comments/hits to keep the fire goin' ( it's cold and it sucks! )

Riven found solace in being alone.  
  
She'd done it for years, now; from the southern coast of Ionia to the teeming heart of Zaun, her time in exile showed her the wider world, horrors & wonders alike. It was on her two feet that she straddled her burden, sword slung on her back as she called to question all the wrongs Noxus had done in the name of strength.* Company of any kind - however fleeting - was but a detour, a long-winding path she took when she needed a break to admire the roses.   
  
_Nothing permanent._   The grinding sound of her runesword against the whetstone serves as a reminder. _Nothing that can last, nothing that can slow her down_. Again, the grinding resonates. Echoes, even, noise bouncing from the cave's walls while accompanied by the quiet crackle of her campfire. _Nothing that could..._  
  
Her arm, pushing on the whetstone, is slower going down this time. She wills herself to believe it temporary, but the fluid motion makes her think of **him.**   
  
Here, one strike for the way his arm snuck around her shoulders when they huddled over a fire. Another, and she remembers the brush of his fingers on bare skin in their afterglow. Thrice - now it's how his palm near-slithers into hers...  
  
Riven stills her arm, stone lax on the blade as she looks up and towards the outside.  
  
 _Nothing permanent._  
  
She fancies him coming through, finding her as the lost did the North Star.  
  
 _Nothing that can last._  
  
He'd cup her cheek. Let her know the bandits were off his trail, this time for good.  
  
 _Nothing that can slow her down._  
  
He'd never have to leave again.   
  
_Nothing that could..._  
  
No, all nonsense. Riven rams her blade into the earth, tossing the whetstone over to her knapsack as she slumps back into the wall. Hands come to rest on her knees, and her head tilts back so that she could gaze at a bare, brown ceiling. The effort of sharpening her blade was nil, yet she couldn't stop her breath from growing quick, from her heart pounding.  
  
Alone would not cut it. Tonight, she'd find solace in his next return.


	46. casual.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse. ) it's just a fling, so there's no harm in wanting to be closer and thinking about the other more than they care to admit - right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ' Jasmine, this is 1,000 words again'
> 
> i know...it honestly was supposed to be more about that liminal space these two are in with the 'struggling to recognize/admit they're falling for each other' thing but unfortunately, i dub them both my 'dumb, horny rabbits' for this reason. also, because my friend got an autograph from Cristina Vee ( Riven's VA ) for me and when asked how she felt about yasriv, she said 'i love it!.' that's just proof they're canon, so...
> 
> anyway! the point of this was more to find a resting point on mainverse. i've decided that i'll be holding a poll and let y'all vote to see what other AU you want to see next, whether it's one i've neglected for a while or a new one i haven't put out yet! for that one, just keep your eyes out on the next update; i'll put out a new 'chapter' with the link to the poll/my blog here sometime this week!
> 
> enjoy! ♥

There was a certain tempo to their whole dance.  
  
First, the build-up - the bridge.  Sometimes, it need be little more than a mutual glance, eyes meeting and hearts syncophatically beating together to an agreement that **yes** , they needed this. Other times, there would be stories shared over a fire, over dinner. Bodies grew closer as the night grew colder. His arm might find her shoulder, or her waist. Her head would find his shoulder to rest on. They'd scoot closer...a hand might wander, lips might meet...  
  
Next, the peak - the chorus. The chorus is the shortest, but always the loudest; when both find melting point together, they forget where one starts and the other ends. Separate bodies meet as once, and sometimes in that chorus was a hymnal praise of their names, each one near-shouting it as if they'd never been to worship.  
  
Last, the wind down - the ending. This is where the tune would become naught more than a backdrop, a quiet little hum in the air as they peeled away.. It was at this point their dance lost all its fire, its passion; most often, Riven would curl on her side, close her eyes, and even out her breathing while Yasuo put some distance between them and went to read.    
  
Most nights, this was their song of comfort.  
  
Tonight, the song did not seem content to stop.  
  
At present, both lay still, sweat licking at their skin as ragged breaths fill the air. Neither would speak, but neither would they move - no curling to the side, no walking off. Both were just present. Lingering, even, eyes peering into the star-sprinkled sky with backs to makeshift blankets.  
  
Once the pants even to slow, steady breaths, Riven begins to fidget with the hem of the cover. She would still say nothing for several more beats.  
  
" Are you not going to read? " She tries to keep the tone of her voice even. A weak chuckle escapes her companion.  
  
" I might, but I ain't in a hurry to move. "  
  
She doesn't look at him, instead swallowing hard. Then -  
  
" Yasuo. "  
  
He's in no hurry to respond, voice low and lax.  
  
" Yeah? "  
  
Silence. Her lips part open, close  - why was this so difficult  - open again, heart pounding and pounding against her ribcage until she wondered if it might burst. Then -  
  
" I... " She swallows again, exhaling a trembling breath she didn't even know she was keeping. " ...instead of going to go read, then...will you stay here and hold me? "  
  
The moment after she asks and before he responds is the single greatest stretch of time Riven thinks she's counted. Already, she is prepared for the ' _no_ ', for the ' _it's just casual, that's too much_ '....  
  
...yet, a hand begins to creep around her shoulder, arm slipping beneath her back as she lifts up to let him. Soon, he brings it down to her waist. Draws her closer, close enough for his chin to rest atop her head while she finds an ear to his chest.  
  
_Tha-thump, tha-thump_ \- his heartbeat went strong. Measured. She closes her eyes and tries to think of it minutes ago. Did it pound hard when she had his name curled around her tongue? Harder still, when her back would arch and she would beg low in his ear for one more kiss, one last thrust?  
  
Sprits, she couldn't take it. Riven shifts so that her face hovers just inches above Yasuo,  palm still resting on his chest. In kind, his hand moves to cup her lower back, drawing her close until they meet for a wordless kiss.  
  
One, two...they part, half-lidded gazes meeting. She needn't look down to know that he was getting hard again.  
  
" Y'know... " A throatier chuckle slips him as he begins to roll back on top of her. There was no denying the excited little breath she sucks in when he nudges her thighs apart, when he's showering her lips with hungrier kisses. " This is why I go 'n read after. "  
  
The answer spells itself out, yet Riven - somewhere between the haze of her second wind coming on and her desire to tease - plays stupid.  
  
" Why? "  
  
She's greeted with something hard against her thigh.  
  
" 'Cause of this. "  
  
Lips meet again. He slips right in, stretching  & filling her so sudden that all she can do is groan.  
  
" Every time we finish... " There's a roll of his hips. Both suck in a sharp breath. " I just want more. "  
  
Again.  
  
" Yas... "  
  
_Again_.  
  
" So I try to walk away 'n go read...all convinced I'll stop thinkin' so much about you. "  
  
The next roll of his hips is much slower this time, more deliberate.  Already, she is wet and clenching around his cock.  
  
" But it don't work - "  
  
Her hips rock into his, thighs spread wide as she tries to see if he could go deeper.  
  
" I just _keep_ thinkin' about you... "  
  
Their slow pace did nothing but make her ache for that finish again.  
  
" Oh... "  
  
" And this...and **us**... "  
  
When lips meet again, the kiss is hot, and heavy. His thrusts grow quicker, more erratic; unlike the fast-coming chorus from before, they go quiet. A familiar warmth fills her again, and when he pulls out -  
  
And now, it goes back to the ragged breathing. Unlike last time, however, they find each other, arms and legs tangled up more intimately than before.  
  
After silence, Yasuo laughs, this one more of a disbelieving snort.  
  
" What? "  
  
" Nothin'... " He gives Riven's side a little squeeze. " Just find it funny I failed at the whole 'holdin' you' thing. "  
  
Her lips tug into a faint smile as she closes her eyes and hides her face in his chest.  
  
" You act as if I did not want that. "  
  
" I know 'ya did, just - too much? I mean, I meant what I said about - "  
  
" Yasuo. "  
  
" Hm? "  
  
" You are holding me now, yes? "  
  
" I mean, I hope so. Be weird if you weren't who you said you were. "  
  
She presses a little kiss to his chest.  
  
" Then be quiet and keep doing so. "  
  
In the afterglow, she realizes this too could mean whatever they wanted it to.


	47. gift.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern ) In which Riven gets a surprise from Yasuo that she should've expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: happy snowdown, summoners ! hope you're spending it in good company and got some great gifts 'cause i know these two sure are. 
> 
> a quick note, i will still leave the last chapter up for a couple of more days as voting is going on until the 28th. right now it's locked in a 3 way tie so in the event that there's a tiebreaker, i'll assign each AU a number and use random number generator to keep it fair. while the ultimate goal is to get more chapters out for ALL of the verses, but the poll was to see what readers wanted and to give me a sense of how to go forward. 
> 
> that's it for now. enjoy! ♥

Her walk in is uneventful.  
  
Aside from the faint crackle of a fireplace and the door gently groaning on its hinge, the house is quiet. No thought is given to this; Riven simply sets her stuff down, kicks her shoes off, and smoothes over long tresses.  It's only when she rounds the corner that separates the walkway from the living room does she realize this isn't quite true.  
  
 _it's the most wonderful time of the year,_  
 _it's the hap - happiest season of all..._  
  
The tune drifts faint from its source, growing in volume only when Riven chooses to near the fireplace. Once in the foyer, she makes a note of the pine tree off to the corner, ornaments tinged red from light source. A quick glance around, and nothing else seems out of the ordinary...  
  
" Ready for your gift? "  
  
" ! "  
  
She almost jumps at the sudden voice puncturing the old-timey tune...  
  
...yet, her fear melts when he emerges from the shadows, toned figure illuminated.   
  
" Merry Christmas. "  
  
Riven thinks nothing of this at first, either. Greeted by the sight of Yasuo clad in nothing, she would admire the usual details, eyes drifting downward until -   
  
" Did you put a bow on your _penis_?"  
  
Just to be sure, she squints. Takes a few steps closer...and there was no denying it. A silver bow was tacked on, accompanyed by some red ribbon wrapped along his waist and nothing more.  
  
" Sure did. "  
  
Her gaze snaps up to his. He shoots a wry grin. "It's your present. "  
  
Silence, aside from the tune finishing on a high note. Then -   
  
" I can't believe this. "  
  
It's all she manages to say before breaking out into laughter, hand clenching stomach as she tries not to sink to her knees. There comes a moment after, even, when the next song rolls out, the tune campier & more gleeful than the last; coupled with another glance his way, and the laugh becomes near inconsolable.   
  
After what must've been a decade, Riven sucks in a few breaths of air and wipes at the corner of her eye, shaking her head.  
  
" You...wanted me to find a ride just so you could come out like this and tell me your penis was my gift. "  
  
The wry grin simmers down to a soft smirk, but the confidence never leaves Yasuo's eyes.  
  
" Sounds about right. "  
  
" And you put...a stick-on bow...on your penis... "  
  
" Somethin' like that, yeah. Don't worry, won't hurt when I peel it off. "  
  
She crosses the foyer until she's near him, hands coming to rest on his shoulder. Voice, now a hushed murmur.  
  
" Are you my only present? "  
  
" I got a few more up my sleeve, but I'd like 'ya to open this one first. "  
  
The tune becomes little more than an after thought once their lips meet.


	48. lead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Grand General/Royal Guard AU ) Riven's rare, quiet night to herself is interrupted by Yasuo, but she can't say she minds too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: i know, i know. hold the drumroll. stem your applause. i...have updated. why, you ask? why update when i seemed so deep in the throes of my other project? the answer is simple - inspiration, and a writing partner ( seriously, having somebody to write with and bounce ideas off of again put the wind back on my sails. ) i ended up getting a pang of nostalgia and finally! finally finally finally, the idea, which by the way was the winner of the vote you guys cast back in January and won the tiebreaker over the Dawnbringer/Nightbringer AU! 
> 
> at any rate, i don't think there's anything new y'all need to know, nothing i haven't established from my 50-other some odd chapters of these guys and their shenanigans. i don't know how consistently i can promise updates at the moment - my mind is still in limbo with multiple ships - but if this writing stays steady and i can work my way back into the ship i loved for the longest time, i'll try to at least hit 1-2x a month updates. 
> 
> thank you for the continued support! i hope you enjoy as i make a return! ♥

Quiet evenings in the Bastion were rare.   
  
Even when Riven's visits to her balcony happened well into the night, her soldiers never rest; like the tick-tick-tick on a clock, they flowed in and out of the courtyard. Most passed by as units, footsteps drumming on the streets as armor clapped against itself. On occasion, the rattle of wagons passing through would fill the night, drowning out the noise of circadas and the fire from the torches.   
  
Tonight is different. A recent holiday meant only the essential staff were here, so the number of soldiers marching through were few. Without the ring of their armor, without the creak of a wheel or any whining from the horses...the clicks of the circadas fill the twilight, giving her the clarity of thought she didn't think possible.   
  
Many things seem possible now that she has the time to indulge them. New plans, bigger goals...  
  
...As her mind wanders, she doesn't even hear the door to her bedroom open, much less the light, almost airy steps of her guard as he stands between room and balcony.  It's only by coincidence that she turns around to find him, and in doing so, almost jumps out of her skin.  
  
" Spirits. " Pressing a hand to her chest, she exhales a shaky breath.  
  
" I catch 'ya off guard, General? " A smirk fits his lips as he leans on the window, arms folded. " You should know better than to let it down. "  
  
" Be quiet. " She shoots a playful little glare.  Arms are raised in mock defeat.   
  
" As you wish, your majesty. "  
  
Riven lets her hand down. Around them, the breeze stirs - the sheer robe around her otherwise ( mostly ) bare body billows around her, something she also realizes one moment too late when Yasuo's gaze dips down towards her chest for a brief second.   
  
Yet, it doesn't phase her. On the contrary, the upper hand goes to her, her own lips twitching into faint smirk as she draws her robe closer to her body. " What? It is summer. Do not look at me like you've never slept naked before. "  
  
"  Not that. " A half-hearted shrug as he meets her gaze once more. The upward curl of his mouth seems more genuine this time around. " I'm just appreciatin' the fact that my Grand General is very... " And this time - with more purpose than before - he drinks her in. " ... _very_ , beautiful. "  
  
None of this was new, not the shared looks, not how they'd linger in each other's presence long after it was necessary...but every time, all he'd have to do was say those few words and something in her seemed to grow looser every time.   
  
" You jest. " Folding her arms to cover her chest, Riven breaks the gaze.   
  
" About many things. " He takes a few steps until he's right in front of her. " But not that. I mean it. I think your country lucked out, havin' a woman of your strength and beauty. "   
  
If she wasn't red before, she must be now, cheeks flushed as she turns her head up towards him. When she parts her lips to speak - nothing. What could she say to the man who willingly cast aside his own ambition for justice to aid her with the coup? Who chose to stay and fight by her side, even if it meant leaving Ionia?   
  
Riven thinks about moving closer. She thinks about his hand finding her waist ( which it does ) and for their foreheads to meet ( which they do, too ). She thinks about how good his timing is, waiting for the warm summer breeze to roll past them while she's thinly dressed to do this...  
  
Despite the want that has bloomed in her chest, she puts a finger on his mouth.   
  
" Let's walk. I want to show you something. "  
  
The confusion on Yasuo's face gives way to bemusement, palm upturned as he offers his hand to her.    
  
" Lead the way, General. "


	49. seconds.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( High Noon / Battle Bunny AU ) Yasuo figures it wouldn't kill him to go by and see his favorite girl for what he swears would be the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ' Jasmine, you said you didn't write/do Battle Bunny ' and you are totally right, i didn't until two days ago when i came up with a more playful way to approach this AU. for reasons probably obvious to most of the community, Battle Bunny Riven is usually treated as ~waifu bait~ in a way that erases her character and her agency, so this is my spiteful way of saying that she's more than that. she's a business savvy individual profiting off of a demand, and she herself only lets clients she thinks are capable and attractive enough get close to her. ( i've been listening to a lot of 'I Do' as inspiration. ) 
> 
> beyond that, no new announcements. this was fun, i had fun, and i'll be around as your resident trash shipper. 
> 
> enjoy! i see your kudos/comments and appreciate them every time. ♥

_here's a word to my ladies,_  
_don't you give these boys none_  
_if they can't make you rich_  
_or they can't you come._

 

-

 

He came back despite his self-assured promise not to.  
  
Some of it was motivated by a sense of practicality; the threat of a dust storm was posted on local newspapers' front pages, locals passing word along to those who couldn't read and the travelers coming through.  Those who came a couple days prior were merely warned to take heed, with most opting out of staying. For the ones who'd come through in the last few hours, like him, they were encouraged to stay, with the friendliest locals offering up their spare rooms for some coin and the least  trying to usher them to the run-down inn at the end of town.  
  
Yasuo was fine with this, at first. He'd been here before - he knew the better place to book his room and where to get his drink. It was only when he finished his second glass that he realized _exactly_ where he was,  that the saloon close to said inn housed the only woman whose allure he found himself reminiscing on during his long stretches of travel.  
  
And so desire married practicality. The promise of avoiding the saloon was met with a mental compromise that this time would be the last time.  
  
" What'll it be ? "  
  
Just as he remembered it, the saloon was teeming, swaths of men ( and the occasional woman ) gathered around the stage with drinks forgotten on the table. The current dancer on stage twirled around the pole with surprising dexterity, long legs kicking up high with the finish of her song.  
  
" Whiskey'll do. " Yasuo sets a few coins down. The glass is slid down his way not long after.  " That one dancer still work here? The one with white hair. "  
  
" Who? " The barkeep shines a new glass, giving a puzzled look before realization dawns on him. " Oh! Haha, you're talkin' about Fury, ain't ya? Well 'course she's here, that woman owns this joint. "  
  
Before he can ask more, the lights dim once more. The next dancer is met with a sonorous applause before she can appear, one that grows in noise once her heels click-clack on the wood.  
  
Little changed from the last time he saw Riven Fury. She had the same, white hair ( albeit longer, now hovering at her thighs ) and the same bodysuit hugging her curvy frame, so why is it he found her more captivating than before? Was it the way she danced this time, the way her hips sway from side to side as she winds her body in tandem with the tune? Was it the lighting again, the way it captured her honeyed skin like she was the one glowing?  
  
His thoughts race, mouth dry as he stares on. Out of the whole crowd, her gaze still manages to meet his, and its in those brief seconds that he swears her lips curl into a faint smirk.  
  
" How much? " Yasuo is already emptying his pockets for every last piece of silver.  
  
" What, her? Ha!" The barkeep lulls his head back and snorts. " I told 'ya she's the owner, she don't come cheap. Only the highest payin' clients get a private show. "  
  
" Then take this.  " And in the face of better, more sound judgement, he sets his katana down on the counter.  
  
" Woah, now. " Weary glance is cast at the weapon. " Don't be an idiot, we got plenty of scarlet girls 'round here. Sure you can find another one if 'ya  - "  
  
Wordless, Yasuo slides the katana more towards the barkeep.  
  
" Alright, alright. Come with me. "  
  
He does so, following the barkeep through the labrynth of bodies and turns.  
  
" Wait here. "  
  
He need not wait long after that.  
  
" Long time, no see, cowboy. "  
  
His heart pounds in his ears with every step she takes. When she settles in his lap, warm hands settle over her hips pulling her close until their groins are flush together.  
  
" Miss me ? "  
  
" More than I thought I would. "  
  
A throaty chuckle slips Riven's throat. She gives a little roll of her hips, enough for Yasuo's breath to hitch.  
  
" Yet it has almost been a year since I've seen you last. What gives? If you missed me, surely you would come by more. "  
  
" It's exactly why I don't. "  
  
She rolls her hips again, this time harder. Unlike his last, timid foray, he knew what to do, what she wanted; with a quick and careful tug of her suit, he exposes her full, heavy breasts, hands coming to palm them.  
  
" Exactly why you don't? " Her hand slides over his, giving it a squeeze to encourage him. His thumbs then tease her nipples, brushing over them until they were stiff from his touch and  she was biting down on her bottom lip. It took her a moment to speak again. " That is no fair. I missed you quite a bit... "  
  
When she turns her head - when their noses brush together - it's seamless. He closes the distance, capturing her lips in a long, firm kiss.  
  
" If I stayed 'round these parts, I'd have to start sellin' my body off the black market for how much I'd come see you. "  
  
She laughs between the kisses and the grinding.  " We won't even make it to the inn this time. "  
  
He mulls it over for a moment. The inn would have more privacy, but it stirs more animal desires to think about her in this moment, spreading her open and hilting in her until she cries out -  
  
" I'm not in a hurry if you ain't. "  
  
" I cannot say I am. "  
  
" Good. "  
  
When he was more sober, he'd come up with a way to get his beloved blade back and the next time he could come by for her.


	50. confession.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( Modern / Fake Dating AU ) the fight left questions unanswered, but both figured it better to keep their distance and 'sort it out for a while.' unfortunately for Riven, her string of nightmares have gotten so bad she's left to call Yasuo, which ends up in a surprising resolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: i know a couple of chapters kind of share this 'Riven having funky dreams/nightmares in her bedroom' backdrop, but the first one was meant to be more vague and playful - this one, i wanted to dive deeper into the afflictions that plague Riven too, and a part of having trauma/PTSD is recurring nightmares. even though modern may make them seem different, the flavor is the same, and after exploring the things i did for Yasuo ( suicide attempts, bipolar disorder ), it felt like she was long overdue for me to bring that to the surface, even though i've touched on her neurodivergency in the process. ultimately, my goal is to keep digging and digging until this is less of a fic and something that could be real, a story about two people across different lifetimes meeting, fighting, fucking, struggling, and loving together. 
> 
> *deep breath*
> 
> at any rate, this is meant to be a cliffhanger - i will add a part 2, rest assured, whether that's the next chapter or 5 chapters for now. the 'Fake Dating AU' is nearing its own end, but if the demand is still high enough for it, i may do occasional fillers or fun stuff while i thread my way through other verses and give them the resolutions they need to feel complete. 
> 
> that's it! this is long again, i'm only kind of sorry, hopefully you still love me and all my yasriv shenanigans because i'm just getting warmed up >:3. enjoy!

_" Amara, my love. "_  
  
_In the cradle of darkness, a warm voice beckons. Soothes. Like moth to a flame, the child can't help but follow the trail of her mother's voice, inching forward with her hands groping empty space._  
  
_" Come, Amara. "_  
  
_" Mama... " Her home accent curls tight in her mouth; the sound of home, of clear, Grecian waters and smooth coasts, is strong. " Mama, I can't see... "_  
  
_Her mother doesn't respond to the problem._  
  
_" Amara, Amara... "_  
  
_A once vast nothing creates a long, distant, and narrow hallway. Faint light illuminates the end of it, revealing a woman of average height with long, unruly locks and tawny skin. Her hands remain clasped in front of her as she stands in wait._  
  
_" Mama! "_  
  
_She runs. She runs as fast as her awkward little legs can carry her, stumbling several times along the way. " Mama, I am coming..."_  
  
_" Amara, you were not there. " And no matter how hard, how fast she runs, the hallway continues to grow. Her mother recedes, only visible enough for her to watch the hair fall out and her skin to sink in._  
  
_" M-mama...? "_  
  
_" Where were you when I needed you? " The mother thins until she is nothing but a skeleton with a dress, pearly teeth almost grinning at her in mockery. " Where were you when I was dying? "_  
  
_" Mama no, I - "_  
  
_The light is cut. Before she can even cry out for her mother again, the ground beneath her feet whirls. Just like that, she is now in her twenty-year-old body, and the vast darkness produces now for her a screen from which to watch her life unfold._  
  
_" Lieutenant Fury, they're coming! "_  
  
_" No... "_  
  
_" Lieutenant Fury, what do we do? "_  
  
_" No! "_  
  
_She's seen this one before, turned the day over in her mind like the sea might tumble stones until they're smooth. If she had told her troops to move  just one second sooner, if she had just taken the alternate route through the city, if she had just told them not to go at all..._  
  
_Again, she runs. This time, the screen is tangible, something she bangs on, rips at, kicks. It still plays._  
  
_" Stop! Get out of my head! "_  
  
_As if she'd found the switch, the scene cuts to black just as the explosions begin to rattle her ears. The third lapse into darkness has the ground spinning again, and now, put in her just-turned-eighteen body, she watches the nothing bloom into a spotlight that illuminates a lone figure._  
  
_" Amara. "_  
  
_" Arashi! "_  
  
_Frantic, she trips over herself to reach him; unlike her mother, or her troops, she was able to reach him with just a few steps, hands gripping his arms with an iron grip._  
  
_He had to be real. This* had to be real._  
  
_" Arashi... "_  
  
_His hand finds the small of her back and pulls her closer. For a moment, she is beside herself, finds herself smiling as she holds her first love, the person dearest in her heart who still lives -_  
  
_" We're through. "_  
  
_If a breaking heart could make noise, then she heard the shattering of glass as it dropped from its shelf._  
  
_" What? "_  
  
_" I'm going back home, back to Japan. "_  
  
_" But you - "_  
  
_" For good, Amara. " His handsome features are underscored by a darkening expression, gaze cold and unfeeling. " We can never be together. "_  


* * *

  
  
Riven bolts up with a scream.  
  
In a state of better awareness, she'd realize that the sheets cling to her sweaty skin, and that her shout was so loud, she even sent her own dogs scrambling out of the bed, paws near-scratching the floor as they try to escape the painful noise.  
  
The moment between her dream and the waking world is an eternity. She spends it by realizing yes, she's awake now, body trembling until it begins to squeeze sobs from her.  
  
Her soldiers have been dead for years. Her mother, even more.  
  
When she realizes who was not, she scrambles for her phone. The tremor in her hand is so furious that she can barely manage to hit the 1 on the touch screen, much less keep it steady to her ear.  
  
Another eternity seems to pass before there's an answer.  
  
" Riven... " The voice is groggy, even a bit miffed at being awoken. " It's really late, why are you -  
  
She says nothing, instead sniffing and sputtering a weak 'sorry' into the phone. How pathetic of her to do this.  
  
" Hey, hey. " Just like that, the voice is soft, and soothing. " I'm comin' over right now. "  
  
She swallows back a sob and says 'okay'.  
  
" Can you stay on the phone with me? "  
  
Again, she says 'okay.' Her voice doesn't feel like it belongs to her.  
  
" I'm gettin' in the car. " True to his word, the faint rumble of an engine fills her ear. " Now I'm pullin' out...alright, on the road... "  
  
To anybody else, the scene-by-scene play of what he was doing might seem strange, but it gave her comfort to visualize him and his just-got-out-of-bed look, driving his new car in just a t-shirt and boxers.  
  
Before she knows it, there's a 'click' at her door, then a creak as somebody enters. For once, her dogs make no commotion to greet their visitor.  
  
" You in the bedroom? "  
  
Riven realizes how dark her apartment must be, so she tells him 'yes' in the quietest voice.  
  
" Riven, hey. "  
  
While her bedroom was shrouded in a similar darkness, the large window and not-quite-closed blinds let slivers of moonlight leak through, illuminating Yasuo as he approached her. Once close enough, his hand hovers on her shoulder, but never touches.  
  
" Tell me when it's okay to touch 'ya. "  
  
She wants to say now, right now, right this second.  
  
Instead, she gives a wordless nod and a pathetic whimper that she hopes he'd take as 'yes.'  
  
" Alright. "  
  
The hug does things Riven couldn't give a name to, not in the moment. Like the myriad times before this, something about Yasuo made her think in blues and whites, even managing - for now - to wash away the night terror.  
  
" I...I...mother...my soldiers... " But those are people she'd lost long ago. Trying to say what happened with him in the vision...she bites down on her bottom lip as tears well up in her eyes. "Y-you... "  
  
She throws her arms around him and begins to shake again, trying hard to contain the sobs that wanted to rock her body.  
  
"Y-you...yousaid you were...going h-home... "  
  
" I'm not goin' any fuckin' where. "  
  
He withdraws from her, just enough to cup her face in his hands and brush a few free-falling tears away. " I told 'ya, I'm exactly where I wanna be. "  
  
Riven covers her mouth and shakes her head a little. It takes a moment for her to gather her bearings and try again.  
  
" The dream...you s-said...you said we couldn't be together. And that fight - "  
  
" Goddamn it Amara, I don't care, okay? " Yasuo presses on before she can get a word in, touch more firm as gazes meet. Unlike the dream, his eyes hold warmth and fire. " Yeah, we fought, okay? We fought 'cause you told me you love me and it felt like we was just gonna be friends for the rest of our lives, and y'know what? You shoulda thrown your fuckin' shoes at me. Hell, you shoulda kicked my ass right _back_ to Japan. "  
  
Pause. His breathing grows ragged as he tries to sweep more of her tears away.  
  
" I never meant to lead 'ya on. I never meant to hurt 'ya. But I did.  I did and I've been kickin myself ten ways over about it every fuckin' day. Look, the truth is - "  
  
The touch is soft now. He sweeps away stray tresses from her eyes and gets down on a knee so they're level.  
  
" I love you. "


	51. renewal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse, New Lore ) after the trial, Yasuo decides it's better to face your ghosts than run from them. what better way to do that then get to know the person who could understand his past?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so! the entirety of Confessions of a Broken Blade is up, and i have many thoughts! too many, in fact, to put here because the Gods know all i do is ramble, so for the sake of sparing you i'll get to the point and link you my post on it if you care to read on. the link to do so is here: http://riven.possessed.us/post/173304501921/so-it-seems-confessions-of-a-broken-sword-has
> 
> as far as New Lore goes, i'm still a huge Old Lore hat and have written 50 goddamn chapters of these assholes off of it, so i don't plan on changing my portrayal of these two or doing much writing for New Lore - only the occasional chapter here and there or a smutty one-shot ( because who would i be if not the smutty one-shot deliverer? ) i did feel the need to at least tackle this, however, because it leaves a LOT of potential, and the story just opens up so many options for the future. 
> 
> that should be it for now, stay tuned for the next chapter :3

Summers in Ionia were both beautiful and unforgiving.    
  
Under the sweltering heat, it was a wonder to him that she lasted this long without a break, dragging the plowed along with the oxen row by row by row. Only when significant progress on the fields had been made did she take pause, wiping her hands on her dress before tying up her long, curling locks into a loose bun.  
  
Better now then never, right?  
  
" Afternoon. "  
  
Yasuo is careful with the word; he wasn't sure how much Ionian she knew, much less Ionian in his strange dialect, so it was better to stick to Common Tongue.  
  
" ... "  
  
Like the first time they met, she uses the ox as a distraction, hand rubbing its back as her gaze flits between the animal and him. There will be a long pause, a hard swallow, then -  
  
" Do you seek another fight? "  
  
" Only if 'yer lookin for a little spar. "  
  
It's the first time he's ever seen her wear an expression that was not morose or thoughtful, her lips twitching  into a faint smirk as she rests her gaze more steadily on him.  
  
" What, after I have plowed these lands? That would not be a fair match at all. "  
  
He returns the little smirk with surprising ease. It wasn't so difficult to feel...comfortable, with her.  
  
" I ain't a fair guy. "  
  
" I do not believe that to be true.  You are only unfair when you must be. "  
  
Riven's words held a strange & powerful energy to them. Whether it was because of her accent, how the Noxian native's mouth wrapped around each word, or because she could say so without breaking eye contact -  
  
Yasuo didn't know, but he wanted to figure it - to figure her out.  
  
" Why do you come if not to fight? "  
  
He steps closer. When she removes her hand from the ox, he starts; soon, a rhythm emerges, one where they pet down the smooth back in turns.  
  
" To talk. "  
  
" To talk. " She repeats, unbelieving. " About...? "  
  
He shrugs.  
  
" Didn't think that part out. "  
  
The ox shakes its head and snorts. Yasuo moves his hand up to the muzzle, where it licks at his hand and allows him to continue.  
  
" You came to talk to me, but you do not know about what? Perhaps you are more of a fool than I pinned you to be. "  
  
" Aw c'mon now, that's rude. "  
  
Riven chuckles, though it's quiet and under her breath. Like her, he finds it curious.  
  
" My head hasn't been right since the trial. " Now he's more forward. " I thought knowin' who killed the Elder would absolve me...give me peace 'n all that...all it's done is given me a bigger headache. "  
  
Pause.  
  
" What do you mean? " A snowy brow furrows. " You worry for nothing. You know the truth now...you know I - "  
  
" Did it and didn't at the same time? Yeah, I know. " Now he furrows a brow, though it's more in thought than anger. " 's not what I meant...it's more about what I _didn't_ do then what 'ya did do. If I was there, he'd still be around. "  
  
_And so would Yone_ , he thinks, but he bites the inside of his cheek and lets his sentence die there.  
  
" Is this all you wanted to talk about? Because if so, I...I still do not remember it all. The memories only become clearer when I have my blade. "  
  
A stretch of silence is filled by the thralls of nature, humming steady in his ears.  
  
" ...no. I didn't wanna talk any more about that shit. " He glances at the Konte's house over yonder, then back to her. " I just thought that maybe talkin' to the person who knew 'em in his final moments might be nice. "  
  
Riven snorts.  
  
" I knew him for all of an hour. "  
  
" And I can get to know you for more than an hour. " Pause. " When 'ya free next? "  
  
Now she turns to glance at the house, then to him.  
  
" I am ahead on my fieldwork for the day. Perhaps a walk around the farm is suitable? I..." And looking around again, at the vastness of the turned earth, " ...do not mind showing you around if it suits your tastes. "  
  
Wordless, he nods. Riven frees the ox of the tool for the time being and walks around him, giving a nod towards the direction she wants them to head in.  
  
As Yasuo falls in stride beside her, he begins to see that she's not the only one who needed this new beginning.


	52. talk.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) Riven and Karma have a little girl talk about a certain boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: my last few chapters got pretty heavy there, so i wanted to get some light-hearted fun back in here. also, Yasuo gets Irelia as his friend/person-who-has-to-point-out-the-obvious, ergo, Riven gets Karma. 
> 
> enjoy :3

Braiding Riven's hair was therapeutic. Why, Karma could not say, not for sure; she thinks it has more to do with her wonder at the sheer volume,  though such awe competes with her curiosity on how the Exile kept it so soft & supple.  
  
Perhaps she could ask for a tip or two on getting such soft locks.  
  
" Have you ever thought about cutting it? "  
  
Riven turns her head to sneak a glance at the Duchess. She catches the inkling of a smile cross her lips.  
  
" Cut my hair? " The words float in the ar as she turns her head back to the wall. It'll be a minute before she receives any follow up to the question posted. " Not a chance.   I want to see how long it can get. "  
  
" If you say so. " Amusement laces Karma's voice as she continues. When she finishes from the crown, she moves down to the neck; there a faint, violet-tinted bruise blooms from the side. Had she not known better, she would have assumed a fight, one where the foe planted their knuckles right into the skin.  
  
Instead, she laughs.  
  
" Hm? " Riven turns her head again. " What are you laughing about? Is there something on me? "  
  
" I would say so, yes. " Her chuckle has an airy quality to it, one that's light and even elegant. "  There's something on your neck. "  
  
" There is? " Of course, she can't look down to see her neck, so she feels along it, hand tracing the curvature...when it covers the bite, she pauses over it. Now it was Riven's turn to laugh; unlike Karma, hers was loud, and free. " Oh, yes. I do have something there...I was having fun last night, that is all.  Just feel free to ignore it. "  
  
" Believe me, I want to. "  
  
Riven rubs the spot a little, though she leaves her hand there. Karma couldn't miss the smile on Riven's lips, one complimented by the growing red on her cheeks.  
  
Not missing a beat, she resumes the braiding and adds:  
  
" You like him. "  
  
" Of course I do.  I would hope I like him...I would never travel this far with somebody whom I could not stand. "  
  
" Riven, Riven, Riven. " She admonishes under her breath. A smile of her own finds its way to her lips. " I don't mean like that. I meant that you _like_ him. "  
  
The hair spills from Karma's fingers as the Exile turns to face her fully. Confusion spreads on her features.  
  
" But I just agreed with you, I am not understanding what - "  
  
" You care for him as more than just a friend. "  
  
Karma covers her mouth with the back of her hand. She was trying not to laugh again at how Riven's expressions move from surprise to embarrassment, red now flushing her honeyed skin more heavily than before.  
  
" I...think we are close friends, yes. "  
  
" Is being so intimate with him like that what you consider 'close friends'?"  
  
Despite not thinking it possible, Riven continues to flush an even deeper red, one comparable to the crimson of her walls.  
  
" Two people can be...intimate...and not feel that way for each other. "  
  
" Yes, they can. " Karma does her best to continue with the plait, finding her stopping point. For her, a comfortable silence grows, staying with them until she can reach the end. " But there is no shame in letting that change, either. "  
  
Their eyes meet for a fleeting moment.  
  
" I've known you for years now, Riven, and I have watched you lift your head up higher and higher as you come to terms with the past. " Pause. " And I have to say, this is the happiest I've ever seen you. "  
  
Riven pulls the now finished plait closer to her, running her fingers over each bump.  
  
" He...I...I never thought I would meet somebody else who could understand. There were many things I thought I'd simply carry with me to the grave. "  
  
Karma rests her hand on Riven's shoulder, then gives it a little squeeze.  
  
" You are allowed to feel love, you know. You have no need to be ashamed of that. "  
  
Riven thanks Karma for the afternoon company and heads out without another word.


	53. flirt.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) the easiest way to get into somebody's pants is to disarm them with your good sense of humor. fortunately for Yasuo, he's skilled enough to do both at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: remember when i said my drabbles weren't going to exceed 500 words and now my last 4-5 drabbles have been 700-1,100 words?
> 
> i've lost control of my life. 
> 
> AT ANY RATE, more shenanigans. Yasuo and Riven have a lot of weird 'we're-very-comfortable-around-each-other' conversations but i've only shown those in glimpses, so i wanted to work on that as my commitment to fleshing them out as fully realized individuals and not just smut/fluff machines. while that IS the point of this series, there's only so much smut and fluff a person can do in and of itself before you say 'okay Jasmine, we know! they fucked!', which is also why i try to rotate in other characters, other verses, and different moods. you feel me? okay right, you feel me, no more rambling.
> 
> enjoy :3

Up to this point, they'd kept to kissing. There was no rhyme or reason to it, either; they did not refrain because they were nervous, or because they hadn't experienced desire and its maddening hold, no. At best - and this is just a silly hypothesis Yasuo held on to - it was just the knowledge that they **could** that kept them in this dance. It was knowing that it would only take one tilt of her neck, and his curious mouth, to stir their long-held embers into a roaring flame.  
  
Right now finds them in such a state.  Under the hut's roof, lips meet, each kiss languid & lingering under the night's cover. Pauses come rarely; if there's one to be had, it's for one to tilt their head in a different angle, to swallow, to shift, then come back to form.  
  
Words elude them, but they are unnecessary. It's much simpler for Yasuo to let his hand glide down Riven's arm, her waist, then draw her in closer. She returns the gesture by curling her fingers into his short locks as they meet again, hand only relinquishing his hair when she finds it preferable to cup his cheek.  
  
In this moment, he realizes, knowledge of what they could do - and could be - fail to sate him.  
  
" Yasuo. " His name is a whisper on her lips. " What are you thinking about? "  
  
_What are you thinking about._ Even here, with foreheads rested together and gazes locked, she asked something he couldn't state so simply.  
  
What he thought about was her. What he thought about was how it'd felt like she'd cast a spell, that her lips - her kisses - only made him hungrier for those shaky little breaths, if he could turn it into something more, if maybe, maybe _maybe_ the world had given him the seventh wonder right here in his arms.  
  
Mulling it over made such sentiments sound silly, however. Eager as he might have been, Yasuo wasn't so keen on pushing his 'friend' away.  
  
" A lot of things. " Comes his reply after a while, blinking a few times as a smile threatens his lips. " Most of my thoughts happen to be 'bout you, though. "  
  
She draws him in again.  
  
"  Are they? "  
  
He'd pin her for playing coy if not for the way she studied him, half-lidded eyes and quickened breath telling him this want was more than mutual.  
  
" Yes. "  
  
Riven swallows. He can't help but let his gaze wander to throat for a moment.  
  
" Tell me more. "  
  
" I could, " And there's a pause there, for Yasuo decides to distract himself with the curve of her jawline, pressing a series of fleeting kisses along it until he comes up to her ear. " But it's not very romantic. "  
  
" Please. " She chuckles, sound low in her throat.  
  
" Well, they ain't. " He nips at the shell, then blows hot air over it. He could feel her shudder in his hands.  " And I'd hate to ruin your sense of delicacy, ma'am. "  
  
" I think I can handle it. "  
  
He comes back to her. Riven rests her hand back on his cheek, even brushing away a few strands out of his way.  
  
" You _think_ so? "  
  
Kiss.  
  
" I know so. "  
  
Again. This time, he tugs gentle on her bottom lip, releases it after a moment, and comes back to run his tongue along the area. Hearing her breath hitch made him want to pin her beneath him like his prey; if she could make such a noise just from a little teasing, what else could he do?  
  
Oh, but he was a man that was true to himself, and so:  
  
" I wanna do many, " Kiss. " Many, " Kiss. " Many...things to you...but mostly, put my dick in you. "  
  
Pause. Riven blinks a few times in rapid succession as if confused, then closes them as an unbelieving smile spreads on her face.  
  
" Why did I think you were about to say something attractive? "  
  
" What, that ain't attractive? I thought that line would work on 'ya. "  
  
She gives Yasuo a little headbutt. Both laugh after the fact.  
  
" You are ruining the mood on purpose, aren't you. "  
  
" C'mon, don't be like that. " His hands find her waist and reels her close again, lips meeting with ease. " I saw that smile. "  
  
Riven raises her brows. She was still smiling, though he could see her strain in an effort not to.  
  
" Was it worth killing the mood, mister comedian? "  
  
Yasuo stills for a moment, sans the drumming of his fingers on her waist and the exaggerated pursing of his lips. Then:  
  
" So what you're tellin me is...the mood is gone now. Right? I killed the mood. " Throughout this, he raises his brows even higher than hers, making her laugh again. " I absolutely destroyed it. Nothin' I can say or do will bring it back. "  
  
Riven is too busy laughing , but she tries to shake her head 'no' to go along with it. Yasuo retaliates by tracing her figure, palms gliding down and along her curves.  
  
" Alright, I get it. Can't atone for my sins. Even if I told 'ya right now that all I really wanna do is kiss all down your body...mark your neck, your breasts... "  
  
There. He found the switch, for her laughter subsides as her eyes fall back to him.  
  
" Make my way down past your stomach..."  
  
She bites her bottom lip when his hand rests on her thigh and pushes up on her dress.  
  
" And I bet...'cause y'know, I just can't fix the mess I'm in, that when I spread your thighs you're just gonna be drier than the Shuriman desert, aren't ya. "  
  
" Think even drier. "  
  
" Right, drier. So, you'll be about as dry as an ocean, I'm guessin', and runnin' my mouth on your clit absolutely won't make you wrap those legs around me and say my name. "  
  
Riven curls her finger into his scarf, mouths meeting once more. Unlike the ones from earlier, this one lingers for what felt like eternity.  
  
" You can put your mouth on me all you want, but I might need a little more than just that to finish. You know, since I'll be very dry. "  
  
The words in his throat die for a moment in favor of kissing those soft, rosied lips.  
  
" So you _do_ want my dick inside of you. "  
  
Yasuo says it so bluntly that he draws from her the cutest combination of a giggle and a snort he's ever heard.  
  
" I hope you know I can tie you into a good luck knot and toss you out. "  
  
"  And I'd thank 'ya for it. "  
  
" I hate you. "  
  
But when they kiss again, and her arms snake around his neck, it's hard to believe otherwise.


	54. past.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) Riven's ghosts have tried to convince her of many things - that she cannot be forgiven, that she should have died - but what does she do when it tries to convince her that she can't be loved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: i've been watching the new God of War ( not playing, sadly - i'd waste so much money on a PS4 'cause it's the only game i'd buy ) and some sequences came up that parallel how i envision Riven's trauma working. by the way, God of War is really, really, reallyreallyreally...good. Like, really good ( go play it and see if you can guess which scene! ) 
> 
> at any rate, my mainverse is so full of cute stuff, as it should be, but since i've given the Fake Dating AU and a couple others their 'turning point' in the arc, it's time to use the second half of this series to do the same for default verse. i promise, i'll still deliver the cute stuff! but it does them a disservice if i keep them in 'mutual pining' mode forever and not 'actually working to be together' mode. 
> 
> enjoy !!

Riven's past took whatever form it felt she needed to see.  
  
At first - just days after fleeing the monastery and beginning her self-imposed exile - the form was her. If it was feeling kind, it would only haunt her in reflections. The just-deployed Commander outfitted in Noxus' finest regalia with not a hair out of place would stare her down, unflinching, judging her counterpart's poorly-chopped locks and ragtag dress. Never did it speak, but it didn't have to; with gaze alone, a thousand words would flow.  
  
_What's the matter, have you become a coward? Weak. You should have died with them. Why didn't you die with them? Fool. They will never forgive you. I will never forgive you._  
  
As time went on, the form would change. On the worst days, she'd be weighed down her whole company, their ghosts trekking behind her as they asked why, why, why.  In between, it was whoever the past thought would hurt her the most. Irelia. Karma. The old fisherman who offered her a hot meal for the night. The monk who saved her.  
  
Riven has learned how to accept it all. Embrace it, too. Even now, as her current ghost takes the form of the only person she hoped it wouldn't, she lets it linger in the hut's doorway.  
  
With closed eyes and the faint furrow of a brow, she begins:  
  
" What... " A deep breath in. Out. " ...do you want? "  
  
Thunder roars in the sky. The rain beats the rooftop. It will not answer her, not right away.  
  
She waits.  
  
" You still think you can change, don't you? " Despite how she's steeled herself, there is no controlling how she winces. This is the first time its chosen to use his voice. " You think a better fate awaits you if you can just rid yourself of your stripes. "  
  
Pause.  
  
" Being in love won't save you, Riven. Even if your hands are clean of killing the elder, they're still stained with the blood of hundreds. One day, he will know it. "  
  
Riven squeezes her arms as she buries her head in her arms.  
  
" Face it. You can't run from me. You can't change. "  
  
Another roar of thunder shakes the heavens. With a shaky breath, Riven pulls herself up. She was being suffocated.  
  
" You will always be a monster. "  
  
So she faces her past. Just as she knew it to be, it lingered between the hut and the outside, ghastly silhouette untouched by the torrent of rain. When a third round of thunder hits, and the lightning strike lights up the world for just one, unblinking second,   Yasuo - or rather, the not-Yasuo - is burned into her vision.  
  
" I know. " Her tone is quiet as she gathers her things. " ...he will know everything, one day...but if he chooses to be by my side after that...then I will be **his** monster. "  
  
Riven walks into her past. All she's met with is the pouring rain on her skin.


	55. heritage.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( mainverse ) A Noxian man met an Ionian woman, and that's how Riven came to be. Now she's here, a Noxian falling for an Ionian man...how funny, how heritage can work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Mom's day! only 1/4th of this chapter was planned! 
> 
> no, on a more serious note, i was having a debate in my mind on how to best approach a couple where one party can't/doesn't want children and the other does, so this conversation between them was more a matter of 'when' and not 'if.' i don't think there's a perfect solution - i didn't write it to suggest Yasuo is all peaches 'n cream over it - but it got me thinking about other ways people define 'family' and alternative lifestyles might look like, ykno? it's not a perfect compromise but that's the beauty of two people growing together.
> 
> anyway, what i'm tryin' to say is, Riven and Yasuo build a house out on the coast and sometimes their adopted daughter Taliyah visits. *insert a Change My Mind meme here*
> 
> enjoy ♥!

Riven didn't remember much about her parents.  
  
On a good day, she might've been able to plumb the depths of her memories, pulling from them snippets of her childhood. One was about a bedtime story and the way her mother slung an arm around her nimble frame. Another, a fine spring morning where her father rested his hand on her shoulder as he promised she'd make a fine soldier.    
  
The finer details elude her, but something familiar stayed. She knows it to be so by the way she lay here, bare, slick skin almost clings to her love's frame, by the way his hand runs down her spine and all along her waist before it comes back to her cheek. Even if she couldn't remember much, she could not deny the dizzying sense of having done this before.  
  
_This_ was how her father felt when he first met her mother. It didn't matter if they met in the midst of battle, or happened to be two perfect strangers sitting by a lake; in a foreign land with foreign people, he took one look in her eyes and saw home in them.  
  
Home. Riven used to visualize the great, yawning empire that is Noxus when she thought of the word, but now - now, as Yasuo draws her palm to his lips and offers little kisses into her skin -  
  
When their eyes meet, her heart quickens.  
  
" What are you thinkin' about? "  
  
She blurts out what it is she aches for.  
  
" I want to make a home with you. "  
  
The kisses stop. Yasuo pulls her hand away so she can see his face. It's hard to read, at first, but there was no denying how his expression grew at the sentiment, lips curling upward.  
  
" Go on. "  
  
Riven sucks in a breath.  
  
" I want to make a home with you. " She repeats, this time more firm in her conviction. " I want to find somewhere where no one will find us...in a place where nobody will know us...we could make it from scratch, build it all ourselves... "  
  
He breaks away from her gaze, though draws her hand back to his cheek and holds it there in thought. It'd be some time before he responds.  
  
" You wanna know somethin' funny? I thought 'bout the same thing, even before you and I... " He brings her hand to his lips closes his eyes, and laughs softly. " Y'know, the more we've been doin' this...I look at you and wanna be more than what we are. "  
  
He swallows hard and exhales a shaky breath.  
  
" I won't lie to 'ya. It'd be...amazin' to me, to have children with the woman I love. It really would. "  
  
Dread blooms in Riven's chest. She parts her lips to speak, but Yasuo is quick to cut her off, eyes meeting once more.  
  
" _But_...but, I know ya' can't. And I know it's not what you want. "  
  
Now it's her turn to swallow hard as she gives his hand a squeeze.  
  
" ...if it is a desire you have...I know it is not one we do not share, so I...I would understand if - "  
  
" Don't. " It's a rare time he's interrupted her so sternly, but a hardened look fits his expression and she understands. " Would I like to have 'em? Yeah, I would. Am I tryin' to give up the woman who's here with me, alive and happy, for somethin' that don't even exist? "  
  
Riven blinks a few times before a wide smile spreads from ear to ear. It was her turn to draw Yasuo's hand to her lips, giving it a few kisses.  
  
" That is not true. Taliyah exists. "  
  
" I know. " He mirrors her smile as his thumb strokes her hand.  " 'm glad she does. " Pause. " ...don't tell her I said that. "  
  
" What, you do not want her to know that her teacher has gotten soft on her? "  
  
" Hell no. "  
  
Riven closes her eyes and giggles into the skin, shaking her head.  
  
" You know...I _have_ always wanted to adopt. " A wicked glint flickers in her amber irises. " Dogs, that is. I want a lot of dogs, at least seven. "  
  
" Seven. " Yasuo repeats with a deadpan tone, taking her hand back to his lips so he can pepper it in kisses. " How about, uh...let's see...zero? "  
  
" Five. " Riven starts a game of tug-of-war,  bringing their hands back to her.  
  
" One, and only if that fucker is small. "  
  
" Four, and one cat. "  
  
" I can go back to zero, miss. "  
  
He tugs her hand back to him one last time, just so he can move it out of the way and plant a kiss on her lips.  
  
" That is **Mrs**. to you. "  
  
" Mrs. Inoue. " They share another kiss, this one more languid as they take their time parting from each other. " I like that. "  
  
Riven couldn't help but feel happy that, in her own way, she was carrying on her heritage.


End file.
